Pocketful Of Sunshine
by xHalosandwings
Summary: Brand New Day sequel. It's the last summer before senior year and the Beverly Hills gang take a trip to Florida. Escaping California isn't escaping drama as new and old faces put relationships under threat and stir up new problems. How will it all unfold?
1. Where We Left Off

Hello new readers and old friends :)  
Welcome to _Pocketful of Sunshine_! The sequel to _Brand New Day_.  
If you didn't know, this fic is named after the song by Natasha Bedingfield.  
It'll be mostly the same members of the cast but with a few other members of the WWE Universe that you may know... but you'll have to tune in to find out :)

Enjoy!

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**WHERE WE LEFT OFF**

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**TO: Brooke Shane  
FROM: Eve Torres  
SUBJECT: Heyyyyyyyyyy :)**

_Dear Brooke, _

_Can you believe it's been almost a year since I left Denver? Even more unbelievable, can you believe it's been almost a year since I spoke to my oldest friend? Crazy, right? Wow, lots of questions to start off a letter, don't worry, you don't have to answer all of them! _

_Mom told me your sister's getting married! OMG, how is that even possible? You, Janie and I used to hold weddings for our Barbie dolls and now Janie's having a __**real**__ wedding. It's insane. Tell her I say congratulations and hopefully I'll receive an invitation...? Any excuse to buy a cute dress! LOL. Obviously it's pretty crazy back in Denver, but it's equally as crazy in Beverly Hills. You've got almost a year's worth of gossip to catch up on! _

_When I first moved out here, I tried out for cheerleading – big shocker! The cheerleaders here are a little...cheerleader-ish and definitely what you'd expect them to be! They're gorgeous and can be a little bitchy. Especially the head cheerleader Maryse. Anyway, I made the big mistake of going out with Maryse's ex-boyfriend Jack; the captain of the basketball team – another shocker! _

_Yeah, at first, Jack seemed sweet and wonderful but he turned out to be a total jerk. He and his friend Mike had a bet going to see who could get my virginity first, which I found out about after losing my virginity – but not to them, to my friend Ted. Basically, at prom I found out that Ted – who'd been an amazing friend through all of this – had been in love with me since I moved to the school. Needless to say, it didn't take me long to realise who was going to be best for me. Ted's been my boyfriend for about four months now and he's as close as perfect comes. _

_But the drama doesn't stop there. You remember my step-brother Kofi? Of course you do! He joined the basketball team and started dating this cheerleader called Alicia. Alicia was nice and everything, but Kofi later told me there just wasn't that spark. That leads us to Kelly Carlyle, our next door neighbour and my best friend. She has a bit of a past and people at school have mixed opinions about her, but she's the most wonderful girl you'll ever meet. Somehow, she and Kofi became friends and it took a while, but soon enough, Kofi realised Kelly was all he wanted. _

_Everything's kind of...settled down now. I'm back on the cheerleading squad and we're the second best team in California (damn those bitches in Fresno with their perfect split jumps!) but I'm more than that. I've got amazing friends and an amazing boyfriend. Plus, my grades aren't bad either. _

_If this was a conversation and not an email, it would be very one-sided! Are Abby and Dan still dating? Did Tina's parents divorce? And how many boyfriends has Danielle had since Kofi left? More importantly, how quickly did she get over him? LOL! _

_Please write back, I'd love to hear how everyone's doing!_

_Love (and I mean it!) Evie Xxxxxxxx_

Sufficiently happy with how the email looked, Eve pressed the 'Send' button and sat back in her chair with a satisfied nod. For months, she'd been meaning to email Brooke and now she'd done it, it felt like a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders; not that emailing a life-long friend was any sort of burden.

It was a Sunday and a reasonably slow moving one. Eve had spent the morning in her bedroom, creating a collage for the pinboard above her desk. A compulsive storer, Eve kept everything she laid hands on and therefore had lots to display; movie stubs, greeting cards, train tickets and of course, millions of photos from her beloved Polaroid camera. There were photos of her and her family, her and the cheerleaders, her and her hometown friends, her and her two best friends Tiffany and Kelly and most importantly, photos of her and Ted.

One strategically placed photo was in the middle of everything and it was of her and Ted. It was taken during spring break on a trip the pair took to Venice Beach. Ted's family were spending the day there and they invited Eve along and Ted and Eve spent the day on the beach. It was their first real date and it was perfect; the sun, the sea, the sand and each other's company. The photo itself was taken on the boardwalk with the sea stretched out behind them and palm trees either side of them. The way her arms were wrapped around his waist, the way he smiled down on her; just looking at the photo gave Eve butterflies.

They were in love.

"Eve!" Her mother Carol's voice floated through her bedroom door. "Ted's here!"

Hopping to her feet, Eve practically bounced down the stairs to greet her boyfriend, who looked as gorgeous as ever in black shorts, a white polo tee and aviator sunglasses. Handing Eve the dripping ice-cream he was holding in his left hand, he offered up a sheepish smile. "I passed an ice cream truck on my way here. Sorry it's melting a little." He paused as a lump of ice-cream fell on the wooden floor. "Or...a lot."

As she led him through to the garden, Eve wondered what she'd done to deserve such a nice guy. Who cares if the ice-cream was melting? The fact he bought her an ice-cream was enough. Her mother always told her that her stepfather Andrew won her over with the small things and before, Eve didn't understand. Now she did.

"It's the thought that counts." She smiled, holding out the ice-cream for him to lick, which he did, before she took it back.

The pair sat themselves down on a bench in the far corner of the garden, shaded from the blazing heat. Eve sat with her back to one of the bench arms and her legs stretched across Ted's lap, his hands stroking at her smooth calves.

"So how's your day been?" Eve asked.

"Not bad. I crashed at Cody's last night and went to the garage with Brett so he could get his car fixed." He paused. "Actually, on my way to the garage, I saw Jack and Miz."

"Oh yeah?" Eve's expression soured.

"At the gas station. Miz was filling up his car and Jack was riding shotgun." He grinned, tapping Eve's leg lightly. "By your expression, I take it you're not too thrilled."

Eve sighed, running her fingers through her tresses. "I don't know if I can ever _really_ forgive them for what they did to me. I mean, yeah, they both apologized but..." Her voice trailed away, eliciting another sigh. She was never going to be the best of friends with Jack Swagger and Mike Mizanin but she was mature enough to move on after what had transpired a couple of months prior. "Whatever, I'm over it."

"Good because we have five days left of school and then the whole summer to enjoy together. And we don't have to see Miz and Jack for over a month." He took off his sunglasses and put them on Eve, before raising one of his eyebrows. "Has Kelly spoken to her aunt yet?"

Eve held up her right hand and crossed her middle and index finger. "Her aunt's been on holiday but gets back later this week so Kelly will call her back then."

They had a plan. It wasn't bulletproof yet, but it was pretty sturdy. Eve didn't like to think about it too much at the fear of jinxing it, but she knew if it went ahead, it'd be the best summer ever.

* * *

"That'll be thirteen dollars fifty, please." From behind the 7Eleven counter, Kelly retained her dazzling smile as she piled the items into a bag before handing it to the customer.

Dropping some coins onto the counter, the woman looked like a harassed mother, seemingly rushed off her feet. Dark circles outlined her eyes, her highlighted hair was scraped up in a scraggly ponytail and with three young kids tugging at the hem of her smock top, she was in serious need of some help. In more ways than one. She offered Kelly a weak smile, as she rubbed her fingers against her forehead.

"Cute kids," The blonde of the two signalled at the two girls and little boy with a genuine smile. All three stopped and looked up at Kelly with wide eyes that made her heart melt however about five seconds later, the silence was shattered as all three began chirping at each other.

"Only until they're yours and you have to put up with them twenty-four-seven." The woman rolled her eyes and placed the bag on the back of the pushchair. "Little word of advice, sweetheart. Leave the baby-making for a very long time. Enjoy your youth."

The closer Kelly looked at the woman, the younger she appeared. Now, she could've easily been in her early twenties and with her oldest kid looking about six, she must've been just a child herself when she had her kids.

"Don't get me wrong," She quickly defended, waving her hands in front of her. "I love my kids dearly – they're my world – but having them kind of put the rest of my life on hold..."

Kelly found herself drifting back a couple of years. Her own pregnancy definitely clouded any kind of realistic decision-making. In her head, she honestly thought she could give her potential daughter a great life and that the fact she loved her would be enough for them to get by. Her miscarriage still weighed heavy on her heart every single day – and probably would for the rest of her life – but she had to move on. She was finishing her junior year of high school and for the first time in years, she was genuinely happy. The daughter she never had would always be a part of her but it couldn't hold her back anymore.

"...but you'll know what I mean when you're pregnant," The woman continued, despite the fact Kelly had completely zoned out.

Blinking a couple of times as she attempted to return to reality, she offered up one final smile. "Have a nice day, ma'am."

Gathering up her children and placing the youngest into the stroller, she made her way out of the shop, screaming kids in tow. As Kelly breathed a sigh of relief, silence once again flooded over the shop and she sat back in her chair, idly flipping through a copy of _People_ magazine.

"Gum?" Out from the backroom came her co-worker, Marnie, who was ready to start her shift. Around her mother's age, Marnie had perfectly styled, short dark hair and was always chewing on a stick of bubblegum like a teenage girl. Kelly occasionally wondered if Marnie was going through some kind of crazy midlife crisis in which she wanted to be an adolescent again.

"No thanks," Kelly shook her head, resting her head against her chin. "I shouldn't be here," Her eyes were transfixed out of the window. It was probably the best day LA had been all year and there she was, sat inside, pouring Slushies for the lucky kids that could sit out in their gardens and drink them. Life wasn't fair.

"Huh?" Marnie sat down in the chair next to Kelly and pulled out her nail file, the board scratching down Marnie's pearly pink tips.

"Nothing," She muttered, sipping from her bottle of Gatorade.

"Well, it looks like your day just got a little better."

The automatic doors opened and the smile on Kelly's face widened as Kofi walked towards her. He was wearing basketball shorts, Nikes and a black wife beater vest, with a fresh sheen of sweat on his face. That was when Kelly found him sexiest; when he'd just come back from basketball practise and he looked rugged and manly.

"Sweetie, I know it's hot, but really?" Marnie signalled at his damp brow.

"Was this not a giveaway?" He took the basketball he'd been holding under his arm and spun it on his finger. "Hey baby." He leaned over the counter to kiss Kelly, able to taste Gatorade and strawberry lipgloss in his mouth when he pulled away.

"Basketball with the guys?"

Kofi nodded. "Yup. Now that's done, I have the rest of the day free. Wanna come with me? I have to shower first, although you can't come in the shower with me because my parents are home..."

"Funny," Kelly poked her tongue out. "I'd love to but I've got another-" She peered at the watch on her wrist. "-hour left of my shift-"

"Go!" Marnie chuckled, already taking Kelly's copy of _People_. "You're only young once. Besides, it's not exactly packed out in here. Enjoy yourself."

"You sure?"

"Positive. One of us should be enjoying the sunshine."

Kelly placed a kiss on Marnie's cheek. As she left with Kofi, she called over her shoulder, "I owe you, Marns!"

They strolled over to the car and as she got inside, Kelly instantly felt comforted. Kofi and Eve shared a car so there was a wonderful mix of her best friend and her boyfriend in there. It smelt of Marc Jacobs _Lola_ and Coca-Cola with a hint of Kofi's dirty basketball kit in the air. Hanging from the rear view mirror were tiny pink dice and mini basketballs but when Kofi plugged in his iPod to the speaker, Kelly felt much happier. Especially when he let her choose songs.

"This again?" He started up the engine as _Come Back Down_ by Lifehouse blasted into the car. Before they were even a couple, they danced to this very song at the school's Halloween dance, the moment Kelly realised she'd be at her utmost happiest in Kofi's arms. Of course, _she_ was the one that put the song on Kofi's iPod but she knew he loved it really.

"We can listen to Kanye West afterwards," She rolled her eyes and leaned back in the seat.

As they reached a stoplight, Kofi took a hand off the wheel and ran the back of it across her forehead, his knuckles dragging over the smooth skin in what could have been a mini-head massage. "You're hot." He commented.

"Thanks."

"I meant your forehead. But yeah, that too."

"It's a warm day." Kelly pointed out before casually adding, "It'll be even warmer in Florida."

"Babe, I am _so_ psyched for Florida."

"Don't get excited yet. My aunt Susan still needs to say yes to the house so I don't want you to get your hopes up."

"I won't!" He laughed, starting up the car again as the light flicked green. "I'm just saying that _if_ it all goes ahead, it'll be awesome."

Biting down on her lip, Kelly allowed herself a small smile. "It would be pretty amazing."

There was one thing that struck her hard, like a hammer hitting a nail. Things were perfect, better than if possible, but what if Florida changed that? What if they came back and things weren't perfect anymore? She wanted things to stay just as they were and going away for over a month might alter their perfect relationship. The past couple of months had been the happiest of her life. Was she willing to risk it?

"Hey,"

Her boyfriend's voice completely snapped her out of her thoughts. How long had she been daydreaming for? Lifehouse was no longer playing, instead Kelly's current favourite song, Charice and Sean Kingston _'Pyramid' _and they were pulling up to the street they lived on.

"Thought I lost you for a moment there."

"You'll never lose me." She said softly. "I'm yours."

* * *

Obviously things are just as blissful as we left them. But how long will it last?  
Hope you enjoyed that first little taster, more of the characters will return in the next chapter!

Please **review** :)


	2. The Future Is Bright

Chapter 2 :)

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**THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT**

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There was a definite air of anticipation in the Beverly Hills High School cafeteria, and not because the lunch ladies were serving nachos. With just two full days left until the end of another school year, summer break plans were getting into full swing and everyone was flaunting their arrangements. At the cheerleaders table, however, the mood was quite different.

"Jesus, how long does one phone call take?" It was Nikki Bella that spoke up first, scratching the back of her head and tapping her long nails against the table.

Of course, the anticipation was there but there were nerves too. Kelly's Aunt Susan had called Kelly back to confirm what they'd all been waiting so long to hear. Ever since the blonde left to answer her phone, all the girls had sat in silence, waiting for her to return.

"Maybe this means it's good news," Tiffany Terrell suggested. She wasn't a cheerleader before homecoming and she wasn't now, however when Eve gave the cheerleaders the ultimatum 'It's me and my two best friends, or no me', the girls were accepting. "I mean, if she's saying yes, then she'd have to take longer. Y'know...discussing details and stuff."

"Tiff's right," Eve nodded decisively. "Something tells me we're going to get good news."

"Don't say that!" Brie kept her eyes focused on the liquid in her glass of Diet Coke. "We don't want to jinx-"

A hush surrounded the table once again as the cafeteria doors opened and Kelly returned, her cell phone still in her hand. Slowly, she walked back to the table and sat down carefully in her seat between Alicia and Eve, still not making a noise. She pursed her lips together and looked around the table at each girl in turn; Alicia, Rosa, Nikki, Brie, Tiffany and Eve. How was she supposed to tell them the news she'd just received?

"We got the house in Florida!"

There was a collective scream, as all the girls hopped up from their seats and hugged each other, drawing attention from other members of the cafeteria. Not that they cared; their summer break was going ahead.

This had been in the works since after homecoming. Susan, Kelly's mom's younger sister, was an estate agent in Miami and since Kelly was a little girl, Susan promised that she'd get her niece a house for her and her friends one summer when she was in high school. As a child, Kelly would leaf through brochures, deciding which house she wanted to rent and there was one that always had her heart. It was _the _house and no other one would compare.

There had been plans for the whole gang to go away since after homecoming. They wanted somewhere hot and despite the boys' wishes, none of the girls were too thrilled with the idea of a month of camping. That was where Kelly came in with her aunts connections. She'd spent the past four months working her ass off in school and at her two jobs to prove she deserved a holiday with her friends. Everyone would be paying their own share – well, everyone's parents – but her mom couldn't afford to give her a penny; it was all out of Kelly's pocket. And now Susan had agreed to rent them the house for the summer, her dream had become a reality.

"I can't believe we're really going to Miami for the summer!" Eve breathed as the girls sat back down, the brunette squeezing her blonde friend's arm. "This is incredible."

"Susan's gonna send our plane tickets in the post and we can pay her back the expense when we get there." Kelly recounted. "She's booked it all for us and our flight leaves first thing Monday morning."

It was Rosa that jumped to her feet and began singing Will Smith for the whole cafeteria to hear, "_Party in the city where the heat is on, a__ll night, on the beach till the break of dawn. Welcome to Miami-_"

"-_Bienvenidos a Miami_!" The other girls couldn't help themselves.

* * *

"_Michael! Maryse is here!" _

The sound of Mrs Mizanin's voice woke Miz from the daydream he'd fallen into, which happened to be about the girl that had just arrived at his house. He practically had to yank his hand out from his boxer shorts and leapt over to the mirror to make sure his mini-Mohawk was still in place.

Why did she have this crazy effect on him? She didn't even have to be there to drive him absolutely wild. Just the very thought of her...well, to be perfectly blunt, it gave him a boner. She was the hottest girl he'd ever seen, and what made it worse? He'd come _so_ close to getting her at homecoming and all it took was one distraction. One tiny distraction and she was gone.

"Hope you're decent," There was a tap at the door and without waiting for an answer, Maryse entered in a floaty white mini-dress and gold sandals, absolutely flooring Mike. She looked like an angel.

"Yep."

"Well, you're not because you appear to be missing your pants." She signalled at his Calvin's with a small smile.

"Shit," He grabbed a pair of sweatpants and pulled them on before turning back to Maryse. "So what's up?"

"Oh, the usual." She climbed onto Mike's bed and placed herself in the exact spot where he'd just been lying. Her long tanned legs stretched out and her toes touched the edge of the bed. "Getting ready for the summer. It can't get here soon enough."

"Tell me about it, I've worked hard this year."

"Paying nerds to correct your chemistry homework doesn't count as hard work."

"It gets the grades," He shrugged, sitting on the chair and facing her. Did she have to lie on his bed? It made it very hard to resist her.

"Oh, did you hear? Kelly got us the house in Florida so we're getting a flight out to Miami on Monday."

"No way, that's sick." He grinned, leaning forward so his elbows rested on his knees. "Should be awesome."

"Tell me about it. There are no hot boys left in Cali so I'm heading down South." She grinned.

Miz hesitated for a moment. "Come on, there's guys left in Beverly Hills."

"Yeah, but I'm not into boyfriend recycling." She winked, picking up a copy of GQ from his bedside and flicking through. A hot chick was lying on his bed, reading an interview with Scarlett Johansson; things just got a little harder, no pun intended. "It's no Vogue."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you were coming so I didn't have time to stock my room with Maryse supplies. Y'know, Vogue, tampons, bras..."

"Dick," She glowered from behind the magazine. "So you must be excited about all the new chicks in Miami?"

Mike felt glad that he didn't have to answer that, as his bedroom door opened and Jack came inside. "Ever heard of knocking?"

"Well it's not like I'm gonna walk in on the two of you having sex." _If only. _"Did you guys hear about Florida?" Jack asked, sitting down on the bed next to Maryse's feet.

"Yeah, should be great."

"I'm actually quite surprised Kelly invited us." Maryse added.

Ah yes, Mike thought, the trio of evil reunited. All three had inflicted some sort of pain into their fellow students lives over the past couple of months. Maybe they weren't perfect angels but they had paid and were still paying for their sins. Almost losing everyone had forced them to re-evaluate their behaviour or at least certain aspects. They weren't going to spout wings or help out at an elderly home but there wouldn't be any more seedy bets or bitchy comments.

Silence filled the room and it was Jack that decided to break it. "Yeah, well some of us have changed over the past few months."

"Really?" Mike had known Jack for too long to believe that.

"I haven't changed." Maryse admitted. "I'm just much craftier about it this time around."

"Craftier?"

"I'm just gonna keep my mouth shut." She said as if it were the simplest thing in the world. "My opinions just get me into trouble."

Maryse was trouble. She was the worst kind of trouble you could come across, like a scalding hot fire that burnt at the touch. But for every fire, there was a fire brigade. Unfortunately, with Maryse, there was no fire brigade. Mike would have to make this way through the flames alone.

* * *

The smell of Carol Torres' pasta dish wafted from the kitchen into the dining room where the rest of the family were waiting for dinner to be served. Once a week, it was a rule that they all had to sit down for dinner together without the TV and without carrying trays to different rooms of the house; just everyone together, enjoying each other's company.

"It smells delicious," Andrew told his wife as she carried out the main plate, piping hot and smelling of Italy. "Kids, why don't you help Carol with the plates?"

"Why don't _you_ help Carol with the plates?" Kofi grinned as he and Eve disappeared into the kitchen and came out with salad, bread and a large jug of water.

"Because I'm allowed to boss you around." Andrew joked before everyone sat down and the food was dished out. "Well, let's dig in."

Conversation stopped as everyone began eating; the only sounds that of chewing, swallowing and cutlery hitting the plates. This meal was a regular thing and although the teens didn't like to admit it, it was a nice tradition. Both Carol and Andrew had hectic work schedules and the kids relished every moment spent with them.

"Absolutely delicious." Andrew swallowed a mouthful and looked across the table at the youngsters. "So anything to report from school? What's everyone doing this summer?"

Eve looked over at her step-brother and raised an eyebrow. This was the time to bring up Florida. "Actually, there is something Eve and I need to talk to you guys about." Kofi placed down his knife and fork and looked across the table at his father and step mom. "It's about this summer."

"Oh?" Carol smiled. "Go ahead."

"Well," Eve took over. "You know earlier this year, we mentioned the possibility of a group trip away for the summer?"

"Because Kelly's aunt works in real estate." Carol recalled.

"Exactly. Well, Susan managed to get us a house in Florida for a really good price and she's booked us plane tickets to fly out this Monday."

Both Carol and Andrew turned to look at each other, exchanging looks in what could only be the pair having some kind of telepathic conversation. They'd always been able to do it and it baffled Eve and Kofi; how did they do it? They were so in sync.

"I've been saving from my 7Eleven wages-"

"-and Mom sent me a cheque last month which covers most of my share of the trip." Kofi explained. "Everything's all planned and now, we just need you guys' permission."

"Please Mom," Eve shot her mother a dazzling smile. "We'll be out of your hair for a month so you and Andrew can take that trip to Berlin you keep talking about. Plus, if anything goes wrong, I have Kofi and vice versa, so we're not really alone."

"They make valid points." Carol admitted to her spouse.

Andrew nodded in agreement. "Obviously we'll need to set some ground rules..."

"-Absolutely no drugs-"

"-No excessive drinking-"

"-Stay out of the bars-"

"-Don't accept _anything_ off of strangers-"

"Okay, we get it!" Kofi laughed, cutting them off. "Can we go?"

Andrew waited for a couple of seconds before saying, "I think you're both smart enough to make sensible decisions while you're away. As long as you call and text us regularly, then yes, you can go."

"Oh my God, I love you guys!" Eve gave her mother a huge hug and Andrew a kiss on the cheek. "I'm gonna call Kelly!"

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Carol called to her daughter who was halfway up the staircase.

"It's Kofi's night to sort the dishwasher!" Eve hung around long enough to hear Andrew say 'She's a clever girl, she'll be fine.'

Once she was inside her room, Eve turned her music up and found herself making sure everything was sufficiently tidy before she sat down on her bed with her laptop in front of her. She scrolled through her history until she found the link she was looking for.

_Frederick Torres, freelance journalist, Miami Florida. _

* * *

A little rushed, mainly because I want to get to the Florida part of the story.  
But we have a couple of questions...  
Has Jack really changed? How is Mike _still_ hung up on Maryse? And _who_ is Frederick Torres?  
Leave a **review**, I'll update and you'll find out ;)

Xx


	3. Secrets

Thanks to everyone that reviewed chapter 2 :) Here's chapter 3...

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**SECRETS**

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"What's the appropriate number of bathing suits to take on vacation?" Eve asked thoughtfully, rifling through her shopping bag as the girls took a seat in the mall food court.

"Well, that completely depends. Where you're going, for how long, who with..." Tiffany checked off the options on her fingers. "Yep, I think it's just the three."

"A month in Miami with a group of seventeen year olds."

The blonde thought about her answer for a moment, her lips pouted and brow wrinkled. "Normally I'd say three or four is fine but considering our company, I doubt they'd accept any less than six."

Eve shrugged at the three bikinis in her bag. "Screw it." Who knew packing for something so fun could be so stressful? Two days had passed since school ended for another couple of months and with the Miami trip just one day away, the girls were squeezing in some last minute shopping for all the essentials; essentials being beachwear and make-up. Spirits were high, to say the least.

"Three frozen yogurts, two smoothies and one Diet Coke." Kelly returned from the counter with a tray of food, which she placed in the middle of the trio. "I'm so glad I never have to waitress again."

"I can't believe you quit the Grape Vine. Who am I gonna hang out with on my breaks?" The Grape Vine was the restaurant Kelly and Tiffany both waitressed at. Kelly however, also worked at 7Eleven alongside Eve, as her family income was low.

"Sorry Tiff," She offered an apologetic smile. "But with senior year coming up, I don't have the time to balance two jobs. Sure, I could use the money but I've got to focus on my studies if I want to get into a good college. Plus, 7Eleven pays better and you have to admit, the tips at the Grape Vine are pretty lousy."

"That's true." Tiffany agreed. "Well, I don't have to go back to that place until I'm back from Florida so I don't care!"

"I'm so excited about this trip." Eve took a scoop of frozen yogurt and pushed it into her mouth with a smile. "It's tomorrow! It's one freakin' day away!"

"It's going to be-" Kelly stopped, her eyes falling on the doorway. "Eve, did you invite Tweedledum and Tweedledee?"

Eve, who had her back to the entrance, had no idea what Kelly was talking about, until a pair of lips hit the back her head and familiar hands covered her eyes. "Guess who?"

"Ted!" She jumped up and greeted her boyfriend with a firm kiss on the lips, whilst Cody stood beside the awkwardly. "And no, Rhodes, you're not going to be getting that same greeting."

"Ah, it was worth a try." He shrugged.

"So what're you guys doing here?"

"Shopping for tomorrow." Cody replied, he and Ted dragging chairs over to the round table, only to receive angry looks from the woman on the table next to them, who obviously had her invisible friends taken away from her. "Jeez, what's her problem? Anyway, now Jersey Shore's hit Miami, I plan on finding Snookie and making her my significant other."

"Yeah, like you could get Snookie." Kelly scoffed.

"Hey, I could get Snookie! Since Heidi Montag turned crazy, my expectations of women have lowered. My standards are going down a notch and I now only go for chicks I'm certain are sane."

"I'm not sure 'Snookie' and 'sane' are two words that go together." Tiffany sipped from her can of Diet Coke, grinning. "Have you ever watched an episode of Jersey Shore?"

"Hold up," Ted waved a hand in the air, "Who's Snookie?"

"Baby, Jersey Shore!" Eve nudged her boyfriend. "Crazy Italians drinking too much, having lots of sex and making great TV?"

"Oh yeah, The Situation!" Ted laughed, remembering dull Sunday afternoons, spent making out on Eve's couch with the sound of MTV in the background. So that's what all that crap was.

"So moving off the subject of Jersey Shore but keeping to Cody's love life," Kelly said casually, her gaze falling onto Cody and Tiffany. "What happened with you guys at homecoming? I mean, you went together but then afterwards, nothing ever came of it."

Tiffany looked at Cody, who returned with a blank expression. "I dunno," She wrinkled her nose at the other three. "Cody and I are...we're friends. We had a great time at homecoming together but there wasn't that spark. We're better as friends." Cody nodded, despite the fact they were both lying through their teeth.

They _had_ had a great time together at homecoming and the evening ended with Cody going in for a kiss. But Tiffany froze and garbled something incoherent before running off. Seventeen and never been kissed; was that sad? Should she be embarrassed? And why was she putting it off? Wouldn't it have been so much simpler to have just kissed Cody?

No. Apparently she liked to make things difficult for herself.

* * *

It was the hottest day in LA in five years, with clear blue skies and the big ball of sun frying everything in its path. Summer was definitely here in all its blazing glory yet for some reason, the guys decided this would be the perfect time to play some basketball on Jack's outdoor court.

"Slam...DUNK." Jack leapt into the air and sent the basketball straight through the hoop. "Damn, I have _not_ missed a beat."

"Easy there, Shaq." Montel took the basketball out of Jack's hands and dribbled it towards the house. "Can we get a drink or something? I'm insanely hot."

"Yeah, we can take a break." Jack, Montel and Kofi made their way into the kitchen where Jovita, Jack's housekeeper, had left three glasses of lemonade, filled with ice.

"D'you think Jovita will marry me?" Montel grinned. "I could get used to having a woman do this for me every day."

"So Brie isn't making you any home cooked meals or doing your laundry for you?" Kofi joked.

He'd always had a good relationship with Montel but his friendship with Jack was a little more difficult. The odd thing was, their disagreements were never their own, but always over other people. Perhaps the punch Kofi delivered to Jack wasn't the most mature response but neither was Jack making bets over Eve's virginity or making derogatory comments about Kelly. In fact, it was those two girls that showed Kofi it's better to move on and leave the past in the past.

"Please, I don't even think Brie could use a microwave." He laughed about his girlfriend. "Nah, I love her really."

"Love's a big word, Mr Porter." Kofi pointed out.

"And I love Brie." Montel put down his glass and his eyes went out of focus, as his mind was clearly on his girlfriend. "You know there's that one girl that'll always be in your life no matter what? You'll be with other girls but you'll compare them to her? That's what Brie is to me. I'm sick of messing round with other chicks when there's only one I want."

"Dude, you're whipped." Jack nudged him.

"Well, Jacky, you're not exactly living the crazy single life. In fact, I don't think I've seen you with anyone since Miss Torres."

Unfortunately, his friend had a point. It wasn't like he'd been short of offers – there was the hot Ukrainian f cousin Maxine to name just a couple – but it never felt quite right. Somewhere along the way, Jack Swagger had grown a conscience and he wasn't sure if he liked it or not.

He definitely wasn't still hung up on Eve, that shipped sailed long ago. To be quite frank, he wasn't sure if he ever loved Eve, or if he really knew what love meant. Of course, Eve was a great girl but she was with Ted now. Hopefully Florida would provide him with new conquests.

"I've got a whole summer of hook-ups ahead, boys, don't feel too sorry for me." The blonde said with a smirk. "I'm sure Florida will be eventful, in more ways than one."

"Maybe you'll hook up with someone that's already in your life." Kofi suggested.

"What, a girl that's coming on vacation?"

"It's possible."

"Not really. Kelly, Eve, Brie, Nikki and Rosa are all taken, Alicia's like a sister to me so it would be weird and Maryse and I have _way_ too much history."

"You forgot about a certain Miss Terrell." Montel grinned. "Now I dunno what it is, but she's suddenly got _hot_."

"Definitely." Kofi agreed, picking up the basketball and heading back to the court. "Game on?"

"Sure, I'll be out in a sec." Jack watched as Kofi and Montel disappeared outside, his feet suddenly feeling stuck to the laminated floor.

Tiffany.

She hadn't even crossed his mind.

* * *

"_What're you doing right now?" _Ted's voice came huskily through the Eve's phone, which was set on speaker as her hands were...full, to say the least.

"I'm lying on my suitcase, trying to get it to zip up!" She called from the other side of the room, forcing her weight onto the luggage in an attempt to close it.

"_That is so hot. What else? What're you wearing?" _

"A Denver Nuggets jersey and holey socks because they're the only things that aren't coming on holiday with me." Eve paused. "Wow, I'm good at this dirty phone talk, aren't I?"

Ted laughed, "_You should work your own hotline." _

"Ha! The only time I get sweaty is when I'm trying to close my suitcase!" With one final yank of the zip, the case closed. "Yes!"

"_Done it?" _

"Finally." The excitement was short lived as she noticed a pair of flip-flops she intended to pack sat in a corner of her bedroom. Typical.

"_So am I meeting you at the airport tomorrow?" _Ted asked. "_Because I'm taking Cody and possibly Tiffany so there's still room in the car." _

"I'm riding with Kofi and Kelly," She replied, before giving a small squeal. "I'm so excited now it's almost here."

"_Me too. I'm all packed and ready to go." _

"Ditto. My mom's spent the whole evening talking about how much she'll miss me. Other than a week long class trip to France, this'll be the longest we've been apart."

"_You'll probably be on the phone to her morning and night_."

"Maybe." Ted knew her too well. "Anyway, I should probably get some sleep, it's getting late."

"_Good point. See you in the morning." _

"Love you."

"_I love you too." _

The phone lined went off and once the lights were out, Eve got under the covers and reached underneath her pillow for two items. She found the torch and even managed to give herself a paper cut on the Frederick Torres business card.

For so many years, wanting nothing to do with her father had become the norm for Eve. After all, he walked out on her as a baby; if he didn't care about her, why should she care about him? The older she got, however, the more curious she became, wanting to find him and find out why he did it. And where better to hear it than from the horse's mouth?

All she knew about him was that he was living in Miami and working as a journalist. When Kelly suggested vacationing there, it took a matter of minutes for Eve to register her dad. A couple of phone calls and some secret research later and she had a business card. No-one else knew of her plans; if it didn't go ahead, she'd be humiliated. But what if it _did_ go to plan?

* * *

Hmm... questions all around.  
Next time, we're off to Florida. Well, not quite. Let's just say the journey will be...eventful :)  
Please **review** :)


	4. Powers Of Persuasion

Chapter 4...

* * *

**POWERS OF PERSUASION**

* * *

Along with numerous heavy breaths, wide-eyed stares and the occasional cuss under her breath, Kelly found herself muttering, "No, no...No, this cannot be happening," over and over again. Unfortunately, it was happening.

"I'm sorry, Miss, but we've had to cancel the Miami flight." The patronizing LAX receptionist delivered the bad news. "There's been complications with the plane that was to be used and the pilot has deemed it unsafe to fly or board."

Kofi squeezed his girlfriend's hand tightly, feeling her go weak next to him. "Can you put us on the next flight out to Miami? Or even Tampa?" He turned to Kelly, "If we can at least get out to Tampa, maybe we can get a bus."

"The next flight out is in a week, I'm afraid."

"That's too long, Kofi, we can't wait that long." Kelly told him, worry etched onto her face. Glancing back at her friends and fellow students, their excitement filled her with overwhelming guilt. All the organising was down to her and even though plane complications were out of her control, she felt like she'd fucked up. How were they meant to get to Miami now?

"Well, as long as the airport returns the money to Susan, that's the main thing for now." Kofi reassured her as they walked back towards their group of friends. "Bad news, guys. Our flight's been cancelled and there's no more planes going out to Florida for another week."

There was a collective uproar as everyone expressed their irritation. After a couple of minutes of inaudible chatter, it was Montel that stepped forward. "So what does this mean? We're staying in California?"

Ted shook his head. "No way, man. Kelly's worked hard planning this and we've all been getting psyched...we've just gotta find some way of getting to Florida."

"Kells," Tiffany nudged her fellow blonde. "Did you check Ontario International?"

"None of their flights fitted in with our times."

"Well, what about getting a Greyhound?"

"Ew." Maryse shuddered at the thought of so many people squeezed onto an aircon-free bus on a summer day.

"We're not gonna be able to get sixteen seats at such short notice." Montel pointed out, scratching the back of his head.

"What about a train?" Brie suggested to her boyfriend."

"Same problem."

"Well, what if some people got a train and some got the Greyhound-"

"I say it's all of us or none of us." Eve spoke up. "It's a group holiday and we're gonna get there as a group." She suddenly felt the arm that'd previously been around her waist drop, so she turned to Ted. "What's up?"

"I have an idea." He began. "It might sound a little crazy-"

"Right now, I think any idea would be well-received." Kelly laughed nervously.

"Okay," He looked at the group. "We drive down."

Everyone fell silent, the sound of the buzzing airport in the background.

"He is crazy," Mike smirked, folding his arms.

"Well, I don't see you coming up with any ideas." Ted bit back.

"Actually, driving down isn't _such_ a bad idea." It was Maryse that backed Ted up "Driving down could be very interesting."

"It'll take days!" Nikki exclaimed. "Plus, we'd need a sixteen man car which is...well, it's practically a bus."

"Yeah, doesn't one you guys have a private jet or something?"

No-one knew whether Cody was joking or not so Maryse rolled her eyes. "I say we make it a race. Boys vs girls. We'll get a hold of some minivans and race down. Obviously, it'll take a couple of days but we can make stops along the way or swap drivers through the night." A quiet chatter began as everyone contemplated the idea. "So, is everyone in?"

Eve grinned. "We're game."

"Awesome." Kelly looked at the watch on her wrist. "So when are we gonna start this 'race'?"

"I dunno," Eve shrugged innocently. "How about...right now?"

The girls bolted out of the airport, luggage in hand, as they silently wondered where the hell they were going to get a minivan.

* * *

"Dad!" Zack Ryder called up the echoing stairs of his Beverly Hills mansion, a sense of urgency in his voice. The house was pretty much empty, but his father's Range Rover was still on the driveway, giving him some hope. "Dad, are you home?"

"Zachary?" The first door at the top of the stairs opened and out came his father, Tim Ryder. Despite the blistering temperatures, Tim was the kind of man that wore suits rain or shine and just because it was a heat wave and he was working from home, that wasn't going to change. He came down the stairs and looked at Mike, who was stood by Zack's side. "Boys, aren't you supposed to be on your way to Florida?"

"Our flight was cancelled. Typical airports," Zack rolled his eyes, goading his father's hatred of airports. Hence why Tim Ryder had a private jet.

"Ridiculous," Tim shook his head in disgust. "So are you staying in California?"

"Actually, we were planning on driving down to Miami."

Now Tim Ryder was not an easy man to persuade. A harsh business tycoon and a natural sceptic; it was not easy to please him. He was, however, the only man out of the boys' families that owned an eight-seat car, a Range Rover, of course. "Driving to Miami?" He scoffed, only living up to how Zack thought he might react. "That's ludicrous! How are you going to fit all of you in the car?"

"That's why we're back," Zack didn't like to admit it but he was afraid of his father and was determined to keep a strong front in front of Mike. "I was wondering if we could drive down in your Range Rover."

Tim stepped back to look at his son with one raised eyebrow. "Zack, borrowing my car isn't just something you can do whenever you feel like it. You'll be gone for the whole summer-"

"Please, dad. It's just me and the guys in the car – no girls – and I promise I'll be the only one that drives."

"That's what worries me."

"Mr Ryder," Mike spoke up, all ready to schmooze. "I'm a very responsible driver and if it makes you feel better, I'll drive. Or Montel, Montel's an excellent driver."

"You know it's about much more than you borrowing the car. Or what if one night you drink too much and you forgot to lock the car and someone runs off with it? What if you're drinking in Miami and you go out in my car and something happens to all of you?"

"How come all of these are related to booze?" Zack grinned. "Believe me, I have no intentions of getting a DUI-"

"No one goes out with intentions but we can't help what happens-"

"Dad!" The youngest Ryder exclaimed, now getting desperate. "I'm _begging_ you let me take the Range to Miami. Please, please, please!"

Tim observed his son's desperation with somewhat of a smirk. "Fine, but I'll be setting some ground rules." He folded his suit-clad arms across his suit-clad chest. "Number one, your convertible is mine for the summer. Number two, there'll be no drinking if you're taking the car out. Number three, it's Montel that'll be driving and number four, anything that happens to that car will either be cleaned or paid for by you. Are we clear?"

"Done, done, done and done." Zack high-fived Mike. "Woo, woo, woo, you know it!"

"I wish you'd stop saying that." Tim rolled his eyes and went upstairs to get the keys.

* * *

Buying cars wasn't something most of the girls were used to – it was more of a 'what looks prettiest' mission – so minivans weren't an area of expertise. After realising none of their parents had cars that would hold seven of them, they worked out that renting would be their best option. They were, however, happy to be in there as the air-conditioned showroom was a refreshing change from the heat wave outside. Cars were lined up next to each other, as each girl weaved through the long rows, deciding which to rent out.

"I don't know if this is gonna work," Eve peered at the price tag on a navy blue minivan and sighed. "These cars are pretty out of our price range, considering we're only renting it."

"Have a little faith ladies," The car salesman caught Maryse's eyes and a smile flashed across her face. "We might be able to work something out."

"I'm not gonna get my hopes up," Kelly admitted, before facing the other girls. "Maybe we should go-"

"You guys go wait outside," Maryse instructed. "Eve and I will stay in here."

Once the other girls were outside, Eve turned to her former enemy. "What are you planning?"

"Follow me," Both girls walked towards the back door of the showroom, which led them back outside into the sunshine, and into a lot filled with cars. Outside, there were people viewing cars left, right and centre and salesmen desperate to make a summer sale. "This is how we're gonna do it."

Eve watched as Maryse sauntered over to one of the salesmen, a young guy with a sweaty brow from the heat and a pair of glasses that pinched at the top of his nose. He certainly wasn't much of a looker but

"Must be difficult making a sale in such...hot conditions." Maryse began, approaching 'Joe' with a flick of her hair. "I applaud you."

"Good afternoon, Miss. How can I help you?" He sounded like the squeaky voiced teen off The Simpsons, but that wasn't going to stop Maryse.

"Your prices in here are pretty steep, aren't they?" The blonde continued, running a long, well-manicured finger over the hood of one of the cars, a sleek silver Nissan Quest that Maryse was convinced was the one. "I expect it's lots of well-to-do business men in here as opposed to teenage girls, looking for cars to rent."

"I guess our target market requires a certain amount of money. But then this is Beverly Hills."

Eurgh, Maryse thought, his awkward laugh was like nails on a chalkboard. "So there's no chance of you possibly...trimming the price down on say...this beautiful automobile?"

"Sorry, but my boss would kill me."

She placed a hand on his shoulder, feeling him blush under her touch. "That's a shame because my girlfriends and I were planning on going to Florida this summer and we need a car to get down there. We were going to do a road trip."

"Really?" He swallowed. "What were you planning on doing?"

"Well, you see that girl over there?" She pointed at Eve. "That's my girlfriend. She's been gone all year and I can't wait to spend some time with her. It's difficult being away from her for so long-"

"So you guys are..." He coughed, loosening his collar. "Oh my..."

Maryse smirked. "So, the car?"

"I'm sure we could sort something out."

A couple of minutes later, after the details were all sorted out, when the girls were driving down the road in the Nissan, heading towards Florida, it was Eve that asked, "So how did you get the car in the end?"

"Let's just say," Maryse began to grin as she turned onto the freeway, pushing her sunglasses down onto her eyes. "Men are _very_ easy to please."

* * *

This chapter was basically a fun little filler before we start on the juicy Florida action which is coming up...  
Believe me, there'll be big drama to come.  
Please **review** :)


	5. When The Cat Is Away

Update time :) Chapter 5...

* * *

**WHEN THE CAT IS AWAY**

**

* * *

**Pressing a finger into her ear, Eve tried to block out the noise of the nearby road, as she listened to Ted on the other end of her cell phone. _"...and then we totally got Zack to stop and moon a senior citizens bus!"_ Ted laughed. "_It was hysterical." _

How could Eve not smile? "It's like you're a different person when I'm not around."

"_That's because you make me a better person."_

"Aww, you're such a charmer. What're you guys up to now?"

"_We're just stopping for some food and then we're gonna head to the nearest motel or hostel to stay in." _He replied, the sound of the guys' laughter fading out the end of Ted's sentence. "_What about you guys?" _

"We're at a motel and we've managed to get a couple of rooms for the night. We decided if we got an early night, we could start sooner in the morning because none of us _really_ like driving in the dark."

"_Okay, we've just arrived at McDonalds and we're gonna get something to eat. I'll call you in the morning when we set off? And text me if you have any problems." _

"Alright." Eve loved that Ted was so concerned about her wellbeing.

"_I love you." _

"Love you too. Drive safe."

Eve turned back to look at the dingy motel she and the girls were staying at – there were no bars on her cell phone in the hotel room so she went to the parking lot to call Ted. The girls discovered if they got two twin rooms and slept four in each – top and tail in every bed – they could save a reasonable amount of money. So for the night, it was Eve, Tiffany, Rosa and Alicia in one room and Brie, Nikki, Maryse and Kelly in another.

Was it wrong that they'd only been apart for just over a day yet Eve already missed Ted? Ever since they'd become a couple, the pair were inseparable and would see each other all the time. Eve wore Ted's Mississippi College sweatshirt and as she re-entered the motel, she hugged herself tightly, able to smell every bit of him on it; his aftershave, the limes in his mom's fabric softener and the slight whiff of his dog Riggs.

The group had been on the road trip for just over a day and already it had been surprisingly entertaining. Spending time with seven other girls all day, secrets began to come out. For example, Brie and Nikki were thirteen when they first snuck out to a night club and on that same night, a wealthy business man offered them one thousand dollars each for a threesome however both twins vehemently denied his offer. Neither returned to a nightclub for another year due to genuine fear that would be a regular occurrence. Then there was Rosa hatred of unpainted toenails and the recent death of Alicia's grandparents. The most shocking – to the other girls – was the truth about Kelly's pregnancy.

On the way back to the room, Eve stopped by a magazine rack. She breezed through a copy of Cosmo, then Vogue before making her way to the brochure stand. Next to it, there was a small Miami magazine someone must've left behind which Eve idly flicked through, until she unintentionally found the evening classes at the back. She wasn't even looking with interest, but one item in particular caught her eye.

_Journalism for beginners. Call Frederick Torres. _

Eve found herself smiling, as she slipped the magazine into the large pocket of the sweatshirt; she had a lead.

* * *

"Dinner is served!" With a loud clatter, Cody dropped the tray of food onto the slick surface, forcing everyone on the surrounding tables to turn around. "Why's everyone staring?" He grinned, dragging over a chair from one of the nearby tables. "We're in McDonalds, not the Beverly Hills Hotel."

"So how're the girls?" Mike asked Ted, shoving a handful of fries into his mouth. When the girls weren't around, needless to say the guys weren't as polite as they might usually be.

"Eve said they've just turned in for the night at a motel." He replied. "By the sounds of things, they're not that far ahead of us."

"You think we can catch them up?" Kofi chipped in.

"Definitely."

"We might've caught up faster if it weren't for Zack and his shit bargaining skills with his Dad." Mike turned to Zack with a smirk. "And don't even try to defend yourself because I was there and I saw you practically wet your pants when he set out those ground rules."

Ted took a large bite of his cheeseburger and let out a satisfied groan. "Dude, this is so much better than that service station crap _he_ suggested we buy." All of the boys cast a disparaging glance in Zack's direction.

"What is this? Bully Z-Man hour? The guy said it was cheap!" He defended.

"Z-Man?" Montel laughed, nudging one of the other guys. "And besides, those tacos were cheap for a reason. I don't think I'll ever be able to eat tacos again."

"What's up, ladies?" Right on cue, Dolph came out of the bathrooms and slid into a seat in the booth next to Jack, clutching at his stomach.

"How're you feeling?" Jack asked with a grin.

"Not good, man. Those tacos really took it out of me." Dolph tipped back his head and sighed deeply, until the burger on the tray in front of him caught his eye. "Hey, is this mine?" Without waiting for an answer, he picked it up and took a large bite. "What? I need something to line out my stomach! I've disposed of everything else-"

"Too much information D-Man, even for us." Kofi shook his head, sipping at his soda, as the other guys apart from Zack collapsed with laughter.

Boys will be boys.

* * *

"You'd think that being a cleaner, the maids would be able to do a better job of taking care of this place," Maryse came out of the bathroom and waved a dust-covered finger at the three girls in the hotel room. "It's disgusting." Needless to say, these were not the conditions the Beverly Hills princess was used to.

"You can slum it for one night, Maryse." Kelly lay on her stomach on one of the beds and she peered over her cell phone to see Brie and Nikki sat cross-legged on the other bed, reading fashion magazines, whilst Maryse stood hands on hips. "Just think only another day or so and we'll be in a beautiful Floridian beach-front house. No dust – that is unless people have no intentions of tidying."

"Can't we just hire a cleaner?" Nikki wrinkled her nose from behind her magazine.

"Only if you intend on paying for it, sweetie." Brie patted her sister's arm pityingly.

"Whatever," Maryse turned around the desk chair so it was facing one of the beds. Sitting down on it, she stretched out her legs so the tips of her feet sat in front of Kelly, who couldn't help but admire the head cheerleader's pedicure; perfect smooth feet and glossy pink toenails. It was the kind of pedicure that was done at a professional salon, unlike Kelly who spent the night before the trip sitting on her bed, balancing her foot on a magazine and juggling toe separators. When Maryse noticed, she smirked. "Are you gonna keep staring at my feet? Shouldn't you be sexting Kofi or something?"

"We don't sext!" Kelly blushed.

"Really?" Maryse arched an eyebrow, placing her hands comfortably on her abdomen. "Where's the fun in your relationship?"

"Believe me, we have _lots_ of fun." The ears of Brie and Nikki pricked up, as the twins and Maryse were both sent into fits of giggles. "Shit," Kelly put her head in her hands. "I didn't mean it in _that_ way."

"Sure you didn't. But you guys have had sex?" Kelly nodded in response to Maryse's question. "Obviously you're a little more advanced than everyone's favourite virgin Eve."

"You do realise Eve's not a virgin?" Kelly pointed out. "According to Kofi, her and Ted don't make any attempt to hide it on nights when Eve's parents are out. Some nights he'll come round to my house when he can't sleep because Eve and Ted are making too much noise or banging the headboard-"

"Oh my God!" Maryse cackled, as the three girls giggles turned into cackles. "There's an image I _definitely_ don't need to go to sleep with!"

_Fuck_, Kelly thought, _Note to self; certain details are not to be shared. _

"Aww," Nikki wiped a laughter tear off her face. "You and Kofi seem so happy together. I'm really happy you guys got together."

"I am too." The blonde was being completely truthful. Happiness didn't even describe what she felt with her boyfriend. He made her feel so complete, as if there was always someone there for her. She was always there for Kofi and she knew he'd always be there for her; because of the difficult circumstances their relationship started on, they'd built a solid, trusting foundation of honesty, one of which they believed could withstand anything.

"Do you ever think past high school?" Brie asked curiously, closing her magazine. "I know it's a year away but Montel and I were discussing colleges the other day and how chances are, we'll end up going to different ones."

"Yeah, we talk about it but not in the sense of our relationship," Kelly admitted. "I mean, I'm looking at colleges in Florida – my first choice is University of South Florida and my second choice is Florida State in Tallahassee but Kofi's looking at Morgan State in Baltimore."

"Ouch." Nikki winced. "You guys will be so far away."

"Does it scare you?" Maryse asked curiously.

Kelly nodded. "A year's a long time though. Things could change." She offered up a hopeful smile and got off the bed. "I need to go brush my teeth and stuff before bed. Anyone mind if I use the bathroom first?"

Once everyone shook their heads, Kelly headed into the bathroom and locked the door behind her before sitting down on the closed toilet seat. If only that subject – the one subject that brought butterflies to Kelly's stomach – hadn't come up. She held out some hope that perhaps Kofi would change his mind and travel south, or that perhaps she'd fall in love with an East Coast college but they were both decisive people and knew what they wanted. She didn't want to break up with Kofi and if things stayed this way, they wouldn't be over. The idea of her and Kofi going to college and drifting apart broke her heart; this was a guy she could see herself being with forever.

"Kelly?" There was a knock at the door and Maryse's voice came through the door. "Can I come in?"

Slowly, Kelly got up and opened the door to the French-Canadian blonde, who simply stood there with a blank look on her face. It was that blank look that caused Kelly to burst into tears and throw herself into her former friend's arms.

* * *

Aww, poor Kelly :( Obviously I'm going to shake things up a little with her and Kofi... because I'm mean :)  
And if you haven't guessed, Zack is definitely going to be my punching bag of this story. Haha.  
Also, I'm feeling the need to include some Cody idioticness. Perhaps that'll come in the next chapter...  
Thanks for the feedback so far and please make the effort to leave a **review** :)


	6. Hot In Here

Here's chapter 6...

* * *

**HOT IN HERE**

**

* * *

**"I've got a good one," Mike called from the back of the car, as it headed towards the nearest gas station. "Would you rather sleep with Brie without any eyes or Nikki without any arms?"

"Dude, that's my girlfriend!" Montel squirmed in the driver's seat, trying not to imagine his girlfriend eye-less.

"Is anyone else beginning to get slightly grossed out by this game?" Ted put down the bag of chips he'd been eating. At first, when Cody suggested 'Would You Rather?' as the game to play away the hours, it seemed like a good idea but there were only so many you could do before things started to get weird. "Do we _have_ to pick one?"

Mike nodded. "It's the game."

"In essence, he's asking whether you'd do a chick with no arms or no eyes because Brie and Nikki look the same." Zack pointed out.

"Well done, Einstein." Jack shouted from beside Mike, rolling his eyes. "I say Nikki. If you had to do a chick with no eyes, everytime you looked at her, she'd just been there...those big black holes staring back at you. Or not staring back, you know, however you see it. Actually, wait, a chick with no arms wouldn't be able to give you a hand job." He countered, deadly serious.

"Is that a risk you're willing to take?" Kofi sarcastically added. He too was wondering how long it would be before his brain exploded.

"Well, if she had no hands, she'd pretty much be obligated to give me a blowjob." Mike said with a grin, as he and Dolph high-fived. "Am I right or am I right?"

"She does still have a mouth to protest with." Ted chipped in.

"Hey, in this game, chicks don't the ability to say no."

"So in essence, it's just the nineteen fifties." This time, it was Ted and Cody's turn to high five as Montel pulled up into the gas station.

"Right," The designated driver began, turning off the engine. He'd definitely taken on the role of father and leader of the boys. "Ted, are you gonna fill up?" DiBiase nodded. "Anyone want anything to be picked up whilst he goes in?" It was two minutes later Ted and Cody entered the gas station with a list of items to pick up for the other guys, all of which included food, soda and dirty magazines.

"I don't know if I can handle another X-rated game of 'Would You Rather'." Ted admitted, rifling through the soda cabinet until he pulled out the correct amount of Mountain Dew bottles.

"You're just getting withdrawals because you haven't banged Eve in like...two days." Cody grinned, checking himself out in the cabinet reflection. "Damn, I am looking _dashing_ today."

"Are you serious, man?" Ted laughed. "We've been sleeping in the car and you've been hanging out with seven other guys. We're probably all infested with weird dude diseases."

"You might be, but the Cody Rhodes charm is definitely still intact."

"Oh yeah?" Ted could practically smell a challenge coming. Either that or the guys' hygiene levels were dropping. "I can see a couple of cute girls in here. Have your pick and please, try and get a number."

"Please, you could at least set me something difficult."

Glancing around the shop, Cody had his pick. Eventually, he set his sights on two girls rifling through fashion magazines who looked to be about the same age as him. One was a Latina, with long dark hair, olive skin and big dark eyes. She wore a floaty, knee-length white sundress in which Cody found it impossible to take his eyes off her breasts. He'd been away from women for far too long. The Latina's friend was a little taller, a redhead, with long slender limbs and a light tan. Her legs were lean in a pair of tiny Daisy Dukes and her pink tank top showed off her flat stomach. Damn, he'd have had either of them there and then.

"Good afternoon, ladies." He strolled towards them, trying to exude as much confidence as possible.

"Hey," The redhead said with a small smile. The Latina was looking down her nose at him so Cody chose to stick with the friendlier one. "Can I help you?"

"I'm Cody and actually, I was wondering if you-"

"Hey Maria, c'mon." The Latina nudged her friend. "Sorry but try flirting with a girl a little more in your league. Our ride's just come."

"Sorry," Maria shrugged innocently, as she and her friend linked arms and exited the shop. "Nice to meet you, Toby!" She called over her shoulder. Ouch, Cody thought to himself. He hadn't even brought out the pickup lines and he'd been rejected. That had to be a record.

"No worries," Ted arrived back from the till and put an arm over his friend's shoulder. "You've got the whole summer to meet beautiful girls. You'll probably never see those girls again."

"Right," Cody nodded as they walked towards their car.

"And hey, maybe new girls will actually get your name right. _Toby_."

* * *

"What the hell is going on?" Maryse got out of the van and screeched aimlessly at the bonnet, not that she was expecting an answer. She had no idea what she was doing with cars, yet she wanted to look constructive. "The car has officially broken!"

The girls had been driving along the freeway when suddenly the van began to gradually slow down, no matter how hard Alicia put her foot down on the accelerator. Eventually, they decided to pull over and try to find out what the problem was but when they tried to start the car up again, nothing happened. "Cars don't 'break', Maryse." Eve scrambled into the now vacant passenger seat and gave the dashboard a once over. "It's simple, we've run out of gas."

"Alicia!" The French-Canadian yelled at the driver, who was sat sheepishly in the front of the car, her oversized sunglasses only slightly covering her shame. "You're the driver! How could you let something like this happen?"

"Well, the little red light on the thingy started flashing, so I assumed that meant the thing was full, because if it's lit up, surely that means things are working?" Only the most technical language used by Miss Fox, of course. When picking out her own convertible, Alicia went with 'the pretty one'.

"No, it starts flashing when the gas tank is empty." Tiffany said gently. The smartest girl there, she took initiative and got out of the car herself. Going over to the trunk, she announced, "Sometimes these rental cars keep some gas in the back." After a couple of minutes of searching, she shook her head. "No luck."

"So what're we going to do?" Brie chipped in. "We were _so_ close to beating the boys...we can't afford to fall back at this stage."

"At this point, we need to think about getting the car working before we can even consider getting back into this race." Eve said decisively. "Perhaps we can flag someone down to help us?" So for about three minutes, the girls stood at the side of the road, looking like madmen as they aimlessly waved their arms about. Eventually, a slightly beat up, vintage muscle car pulled over and the girls found themselves swooning at the two boys that got out.

The one that got out of the passenger's seat was tall, with a toned physique and tattoo sleeves covering his arms. He wore a black t-shirt and a pair of jeans, despite the hot weather. His most striking feature, however, was a pair of piercing, intense blue eyes, only complimented by his closely shaved head and handsome facial features; he could've been a model. The driver was just as good looking as his friend, tall, but not as tall as his friend, he was more muscularly built – as if he spent days lifting weights in the gym. Wearing jean shorts, a Boston Celtics jersey and sneakers, he looked like a jock but he was hotter, with big eyes and a warm smile for the girls.

"What seems to be the problem, ladies?" The driver smacked his hands together and rubbed them, whilst his intense friend just leaned back against their car, staring at the action in front of him.

"Our car's run out of gas," Maryse stepped forward, very aware of the two hotties in front of her.

"I've got the number of a local garage that's just down the road. They can come out and fill you up?" John went through his cell phone and found the number in his contact book. "Here. I'm John Cena, by the way and that's my friend, Randy Orton." He jerked a thumb in the direction of the unhelpful friend.

"Alicia!" Maryse called over her friend and whispered in her ear, "You were the one that got us into this hot mess so you're gonna fix it." With a sigh, Alicia disappeared to call the number of the garage. Maryse turned back to the two boys with a dazzling smile. "So, where are you guys going?"

"We're from Miami so we're heading back there."

"Hey, we're going to Miami too." Kelly was very aware that Randy was staring straight at her, that intense stare burning holes in her. Doing her best to avoid looking at him, she continued talking to John. "My aunt's a realtor there so she's got us a house for the summer."

"Where're you from originally?" Randy moved towards her, his arms folded across his chest. Even his voice was low and sexy.

"Beverly Hills. A bunch of our guy friends have come down with us too but they're in a separate car." Eve added. "Actually, we're in the middle of a race down-"

"And we were totally kicking their asses." Rosa said proudly. "Well...not anymore."

"Optimism guys." Kelly grinned. "We can still beat them, easily."

"Girl power, right?" John returned Kelly's grin, as Alicia returned with his cell phone. "Thanks. Are they on their way?" She nodded. "Well, we'd better get going. It was nice to meet you guys though and hey, Miami's a small town really. Maybe we'll see you around."

Kelly turned her head and she realised Randy's gaze hadn't left her. He gently wetted his bottom lip with his tongue, before heading back to his car. "You girls have a safe trip," He called over his shoulder, as the two guys got into their car and sped off down the road.

"Oh my God, Kelly!" Tiffany's mouth formed the shape of a circle. "That Randy guy was _totally_ checking you out."

"No he wasn't!" She denied, despite the fact she knew he was.

"Please, I've never seen so much eye-fucking taking place in my life." Maryse rolled her own eyes and sat down on the edge of the road. "Besides, I don't blame you. John was hot in a jock-ish Jack Swagger way but did you _see_ Randy? Damn, that boy smoulders."

"It wasn't like Kelly was returning the 'eye-fucking'." Eve laughed, nudging Kelly. "Besides, she already has a boyfriend. Remember my step-brother?"

"Honey, he's not asking for her hand in marriage." Maryse stepped out and held out a hand so the garage men knew they were the ones that called, "Just because you're on a diet, doesn't mean you can't lick the icing."

* * *

NEW CHARACTER ALERT. NEW CHARACTER ALERT!  
Haha, I won't give too much away but make sure you don't jump to any conclusions just yet.  
Please leave a **review**!


	7. Good Night Miami

Here's chapter 7...

* * *

**GOOD NIGHT MIAMI**

**

* * *

**"Oh my God, this place is incredible!"

As the girls pulled up to the beach house, they found themselves in absolute awe. From the front, it was painted pale blue and had a shaded front porch with a bench to sit on under the cover. The front garden was grassy with a couple of scattered palm trees but when they when inside, there was so much more to see.

The main area was a huge living room, all spacious and neutrally designed, with ceilings that stretched two stories high, so you could see the hallways of the upstairs bedrooms. A huge window displayed views of the beach and ocean. The kitchen followed the same 'white and wood' theme, with a large bar for everyone to eat at. There were three floors and seven bedrooms so no-one would be cramped inside.

But the best part of all? The fact their back garden was the beach. Miles of white sand stopped only at the turquoise ocean. And it was one of those beaches that was quiet enough that you didn't get the insane swarm of tourists and their children, but it had enough attention that young people scattered across the shore. Placing their suitcases down in the main living area, the girls' excitement at the beautiful house died down and realisation set in.

"Guys" Kelly said, deadly serious before she grinned. "We beat the boys!"

The excited squeals and high fives started up again.

"So what do we do now we're here?"

Outside the window, the view of the beach spelt out a very clear answer.

* * *

Spreading out her towel on the sand, Tiffany lay back, feeling the sun soaking onto her skin. Sure, Beverly Hills was beautiful but it didn't compare to Florida. Miami was absolutely incredible; the girls had been there for less than an hour but it was so...cool. Everyone she'd spoken to was so laid back and friendly, not to mention she'd seen her fair share of cute guys.

She pushed up her sunglasses so they sat on top of her head and she peered down the beach. Brie, Nikki, Rosa and Alicia were splashing in the ocean – cautious however to keep the chlorine out of their hair – and Kelly and Eve had gone to explore the beach, leaving her and Maryse on the sand. The French-Canadian was hiding behind a copy of Vogue and Tiffany had a slightly suspicion that she'd fallen asleep. Not that it bothered her, it wasn't like she was going to get much peace in Miami, so she was going to enjoy every moment she got.

Digging into her small beach bag, the blonde pulled out her copy of The Road and began reading. Linking into the idea of having no peace, Tiffany knew bringing a book was pretty pointless but an avid reader, it was very rare she went anywhere without a book in her bag.

"Is it any good?" Lowering her book, Tiffany saw someone crouched in front of her.

Despite the fact he was crouched, he looked to be well over six feet, probably about six five. He was lean yet muscular and well-defined, wearing a pair of knee-length khaki shorts. His face was handsome and he had long brown hair which he tied back into a ponytail. His most distinctive feature was not in fact his looks but the Scottish accent that came out when he spoke. Some girls had a real penchant for accents and in the past, Tiffany hadn't been one of them. On this guy, however, it was very sexy.

"Huh?" As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she realised what he was talking about and instantly felt stupid. "Oh right," She handed him the paperback and watched him give it a once over. "I'm only a couple of pages in but so far it's brilliant."

"I just can't get into reading." He drawled in _that_ accent. "I wish I could but I've never been able to. I start a book but I just get...restless."

"Really? I've always loved reading." Tiffany said, possibly a little too enthusiastically. "In fact, I think I want to go on and study literature at college. Then after that, I'd love to become a literature professor at a college."

"Got yourself a nice little plan there, haven't you?" He grinned, sitting down opposite her on the sand. "So are you from Miami?"

Tiffany shook her head. "Well, my family all come from New Orleans but we're currently living in Beverly Hills. What about you? I'm guessing from your accent that you're not American. Scotland, right?"

"Ayr, to be exact. But right now I'm living in Manchester with my cousin Wade. I'm on holiday with Wade and his parents."

"And you're enjoying it?"

"Been here for about a week now and it's great." He nodded. "What about you?"

"I've been here for a couple of hours and I'm already in love." Realising what she said could've been easily misinterpreted, the blonde blushed and quickly changed the subject. "I'm sorry, I don't even know you're name. I'm Tiffany."

"I'm Drew." He replied, holding out a hand which she shook. "So where're you staying in Miami?"

"A group of friends and I have a house just up there. See it?" She turned and pointed at the beautiful blue beach house further up the shore. "What about you?"

"We're in one of the hotels in the city. The room service kicks ass."

"I can imagine." Tiffany giggled. She liked this guy; he was not only cute but apparently funny and cool too. _You are on a roll, _she told herself, _a day in and you've already found a cutie. _

Drew looked down at the watch on his wrist and winced. "I've got to get back and meet the family but I'd love to see you again." He went into the pocket of his shorts and pulled out his phone. "Can I get your number?"

"Sure." She took Drew's phone and added her number to his contacts before giving it back to him.

"I'll be sure to give you a call at some time." He got to his feet and gave her a great smile. "It was good to meet you." She watched after Drew as he walked back down the beach, biting down on her lip to conceal her grin. He was _really_ cute, how did she like him so much so soon?

"Damn girl, you move fast." Next to her, Maryse sat upright to greet Tiffany, her excited eyes revealed as she whipped off her sunglasses. "He was hot!"

"Weren't you asleep?"

"I was but I was then happily awoken by the sound of a sexy Scottish accent." Maryse looked genuinely thrilled. "Of all of us, I didn't think you'd be the first to get hit on."

"Actually, neither did I." Tiffany admitted. "And why're you so happy about me getting hit on?"

"Drew has a cousin called Wade who I'm willing to take my chances on, assuming cuteness runs in the family." Maryse picked up her bottle of water and tapped it against Tiffany's. "A toast – to cute European boys!"

But Tiffany didn't want to get her hopes up. "Maryse, he might not even call-"

"Of course he will." The French-Canadian blonde smirked. "He took your book."

* * *

The boys' car pulled up outside the beach house and as they saw a car already outside, they realised the girls had beat them. They unpacked their suitcases from the car with a series of groans and made their way into the house, where the girls were sat around in the living room, eating from a box of take-out pizza and watching Friends.

"Could you guys _be_ any later?" Kelly imitated Chandler, setting the girls into fits of giggles.

"Seriously though," Alicia began, drinking from her glass of Coke. "You guys are _really_ late."

"No we're not." Mike retorted, a bad loser indeed. "What time did you guys get here?"

"Ten o clock this morning." The guys looked up at the clock on the wall which read five pm. "What took you so long?"

"Let's just say there were some bad tacos and a couple of people had to stop to let it out of their system." Kofi shuddered at the thought before going up to his girlfriend and placing a kiss on her lips. "Anyway, we're here now and this place is incredible. Muchos respect to your aunt, Kells."

"Have you guys already been out today?" Montel put his arm around Brie, sitting down on the couch next to her.

Maryse nodded, "We went down to the beach earlier on today and even went on a little tour of Miami." She turned to Tiffany with a sly smile. "Tiff over here's moving fast. She's already got herself a summer romance."

"Really?" Jack surprised himself by speaking up, but no-one else seemed to react. "Who was it?"

"Some Scottish guy called Drew, who has an English cousin called Wade, who I've already shot gunned, ladies." The head cheerleader looked sufficiently satisfied as everyone surrounded Tiffany, wanting details about her potential new boyfriend. "Sorry Tiff!"

"Hey," Eve, who'd been on the phone to her mom in the kitchen, snuck up behind Ted and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I missed you."

"I missed you too." Ted turned around and pulled Eve into a hug, kissing the top of her head, as everyone else disappeared outside to see the view of the beach. "I definitely haven't seen you in too long."

"It's only been a couple of days." Of course, Eve was completely flattered.

"Long days stuck in a car with a bunch of guys? I've never been so relieved to see you in my life." He laughed, allowing Eve to take his hand and lead him upstairs. "Where're we going?"

"I'm showing you to our bedroom."

"We're sharing?"

"Ted, you're my boyfriend, of course we're sharing! It's not summer camp." She laughed, leading him up another flight of stairs. "We're in the 'attic' room on the top floor."

She opened the door to the room, a smile on her face. As soon as Eve saw this room, she fell in love. It was simple, yet beautiful. The walls were a pale green and the double bed was covered by a white bedspread. There was a wicker chair in the corner, as well as a pair of sliding doors that led out to a little balcony with a small table and chairs on and a killer view of the ocean.

"How amazing is this?" Eve pulled Ted into the room, before sitting herself down on the edge of the bed. "I managed to reserve this room just for us."

"Good choice." He walked up to the window and stared out. "Wow, the view is incredible."

"Kelly and I went around Miami; it's such a beautiful city." She replied.

Ted turned around with a smile and walked towards Eve. "Although nothing is as beautiful as the girl in the room with me right now."

Eve blushed, standing up and allowing Ted to wrap his arms around her and pull her in for a kiss, reminding her how much she'd missed her boyfriend.

He gently nudged her backwards, so she fell back onto the bed comfortably with Ted nestled on top of her, both their shirts quickly discarded so Eve was lying in her bikini top. Her hands found his shorts and tugged them downward so she could throw them aside before pushing herself up so she could press her lips against his in a tender kiss.

Surprising Ted, she quickly jumped up and ran over to the door with a sly grin. "This room even has a lock on it." She flicked the catch before tossing her bikini top aside and going back over to the bed and moving on top of Ted. "Welcome to Miami, baby."

* * *

Woo... we've reached Miami.  
I know until now it's been a little...easy-going and relaxed but believe me, in the next chapter, things _will_ pick up ;)  
Thanks for all the **reviews** so far, and please, leave another! Xx


	8. Crush, Crush, Crush

Chapter 8!

* * *

**CRUSH, CRUSH, CRUSH**

**

* * *

**It was well known in the Miami area that early in the morning was peak time for surfers, so straight after breakfast – which was cold pizza from the box left over from the previous night's festivities and bottles of Gatorade – Cody and Ted made their way down to the beach and settling themselves down on the sand, they watched the surfing.

"I think I'd make an awesome surfer." Cody commented, letting the sand run through his fingers.

"Have you ever even been surfing?" Ted queried with a grin.

"No but I could just tell I'd be good at it. Plus, chicks always dig surfers. You never see a surfer without either a hot girlfriend or a harem of chicks, just waiting for a hot surfer boyfriend."

"That just proves that you couldn't be one." Of course, he was joking. Over the years, Ted and Cody had become more like brothers. The pair had been best friends for longer than either of them could remember and it had got to the point where they could insult each other freely without the other taking it to heart. Some people believed that when Ted started dating Eve, he'd gain popularity and ditch his best friend but Ted just wasn't that kind of guy. Leaving Cody never even crossed his mind; Cody was certainly an irritation, although a good kind.

"Speaking of chicks, I'm guessing you and Eve had a pretty good night last night." Not to mention the pair could discuss sex – or lack therefore – without any discomfort.

"Wow, not intrusive in anyway." Ted joked, his eyes on the surfers, gliding across the waves. "And yes, we did have a good night. Yes, we've only been here a day but if it carries on this way, it's going to be a _very_ good trip." He observed the look on his best friend's face. "Hey, you asked! And didn't you and Miz go out last night?"

"Yeah, there were a couple of girls." Cody shrugged innocently, keeping his cards close to his chest. "I don't kiss and tell."

"No Cody, you just don't kiss." Another joke. "I mean, you and Michelle broke up and I get that because she and Layla turned out to be total bitches but I was convinced after homecoming, something would happen with you and Tiffany. How did it not? You guys were flirting all night."

Truthfully, Cody too thought something might come of his prom date with Tiffany. They'd had a brilliant night together and they'd been getting along great; Tiffany was definitely sending him hopeful signals. When she said she was tired, he took the gentleman's approach and offered to walk her home and quite innocently, went in for a kiss on her doorstep. No funny business, just a simple kiss but Tiffany froze and made up some shit excuse about having to go inside.

To say it knocked Cody's confidence was an understatement. Before that, he had absolutely no problem approaching girls and casually flirting, but Tiffany made him reconsider. Maybe he wasn't as good with the chicks as he'd once thought himself to be. Before if he got rejected, he didn't take it to heart – he'd move on straight away – but recently, he'd find himself dwelling over whether he was doing something wrong.

When Cody didn't respond, Ted nodded slowly and changed the subject. "Okay well Miami's sure to bring plenty of girls." Looking down at the water, a grin appeared on his face. "And I think your first potential conquest is walking towards us right now."

Ted clearly had good taste, Cody observed, as the girl emerged from out of the water, a surfboard under her arm. She was around 5'4 and had mid-length brown locks, wet from the ocean. Her skin was lightly tanned from the Miami sun, complimenting her big chocolate eyes and girl-next-door facial features, not to mention her body was pretty killer too. Her top half was covered by a red bikini top and her bottom by some navy blue board shorts, showing off her 'curves in all the right places' figure.

"The water's great," The brunette stopped right in front of them, looking down at the sitting boys with a beaming smile as she jammed her board into the sand. "Do you guys surf?"

"A little." Cody lied, wanting to impress this new girl. "I don't get out on the board nearly as much as I want to. But you looked pretty good out there."

"Thanks," She continued to smile but her gaze fell onto Ted as she ran an effortless hand through her damp waves. "What about you? You look pretty athletic."

"I'm athletic but I'm not a surfer." DiBiase replied nonchalantly. "I prefer football honestly."

"Yeah...I see that." Biting down on her lip, she nodded admiringly at Ted. Cody noticed it but he was pretty sure his best friend didn't. "I'm Mickie James."

"I'm Cody and this is Ted." He introduced them. "Are you from Miami?"

"Virginia originally but I've been living in Miami for about ten years. I'm guessing you guys aren't from this city...I'm sure I'd remember those faces."

"Los Angeles, Beverly Hills to be exact."

"Looks like we've got some fancy California boys in town!" Mickie laughed. Unintentionally, the boys had sat next to Mickie's towel so the brunette sat down next to Ted and started drying her hair. "So do you guys know many people in Miami?"

"Seeing as there's sixteen of us that came from L.A. so we're hardly short of company!" Ted joked, "But no, no-one in Miami."

"Well, we'll have to change that." She grinned wickedly at Ted, before outstretching her plan. "Give me your phone." Ted obliged, watching as Mickie played around with the cell phones before handing Ted's back. "I've taken your number. There's a party down at the Quirk Club in the city tomorrow night and everyone's going along. Bring your friends." With one final smile, she skipped over to the steps, leading off the beach.

For a moment, Cody just looked at Ted in absolute disbelief. "Dude!" He said, wide-eyed.

"What?"

* * *

"I'm so psyched for tonight," Brie commented absentmindedly, as she stood in front of the bathroom mirror, moving her hair around her face in various styles "Hair up or down?"

"Down." Her twin sister Nikki replied, holding an outfit in each hand with a puzzled look. "Eve!" She called up the stairs to her friend, who was getting ready with Ted. "White jeans and silver top or short black dress?"

"_White jeans and silver top!" _Eve's voice flooded into the room but Nikki still wasn't convinced. "What do you think, Brie?"

"I agree with Eve. Much more Miami." She said decisively, stepping back to observe her own outfit; a body con white skirt and pink bandeau top. "Yeah, I'm feeling this." Confirming her outfit choice with a nod, she finished curling the final strands of hair with her tongs. "It's so quiet around here."

"I know, right?" She slipped into her outfit. "Where is everyone?"

"Rosa, Alicia and Kelly went with the guys to get something to eat before we go out, Maryse and Tiffany left early to go meet Tiff's new boyfriend and Ted and Eve are upstairs." She paused. "So, has anything further happened with you and Dolph since we got to Miami?"

The other Bella twin felt her heart sink. To say she liked Dolph was an understatement and she _knew_ he liked her too but he was so stupid! What was taking him so long to actually commit to her? After all, they'd gone all the way and were pretty much a couple so why was he so reluctant to confirm it? In some ways, she envied her sister's relationship with Montel. He'd go out of his way to tell his girlfriend how much he loved her...why couldn't Dolph be the same?

"Niks?" Brie looked over at her sister, waiting expectantly for an answer.

Nikki sighed. "No, nothing's happened." Clearing it out of her mind, she looked up at the clock on the wall, grabbed her purse and turned to her sister. "Ready?" The twins left the bathroom together and called up the stairs to the couple, "Eve! Ted! We're leaving now, are you guys coming?"

"_We'll meet you there!" _Eve responded, before the sound of her laughter emerged and the door slammed.

Linking arms with her sister, Brie gave a giggle of her own. "Young love."

* * *

Stood outside the Quirk Club, Tiffany was shivering. It wasn't cold in the slightest, in fact, the evening air was warm. She was just nervous.

The day before, Drew texted her telling her he and Wade were going to the Quirk Club and that he'd love for her to come along too. And to preferably bring a lady friend for Wade. Somehow, Ted knew about the event too so the group were planning to go anyway but Tiffany certainly felt some pressure. Was this a date? In some ways, she hoped it was. After all, she liked Drew and thought he was cute but the word 'date' had so many...implications. Instantly, she felt worried again.

"Tiff, chill out." Maryse, who was stood next to her cool and composed, rested a hand on her shoulder. The French-Canadian blonde looked stunning, as usual, in a tiny dress, showing off miles of leg, only complimented by her killer heels. "You have no reason to be nervous. You look gorgeous and Drew clearly likes you. It's a match made in Heaven."

Tiffany caught a glimpse of herself in a nearby car window. She'd bought a dress earlier that day – a hot green number which made her ass look 'killer' according to Rosa – and teamed it with white heels and wavy hair. Okay, so she did look nice but that would be worth nothing if she wasn't relaxed. "You're right," She took a deep breath, in through the nose and out through the mouth. "I'm fine." She said after a few seconds.

"Good, because I think that's them coming over."

It was. Of course, Tiffany instantly recognised Drew and assumed that the guy walking at his side was his cute British cousin Wade who was indeed cute. Tall, dark and handsome was definitely Maryse's type, so Wade was already earning points. As Tiffany glanced over, she saw they were already making sex eyes at each other.

"Good to see you again, Tiffany." Drew smiled at his date for the evening. "You look lovely." Ooh, and that accent, she thought, it was so hot. He looked pretty dapper too, in some jeans and a white pinstripe-style shirt with the sleeves rolled up.

"Thanks," She beamed back. So far so good. "Shall we go inside?"

"Let's go."

* * *

Cody put down his beer bottle and looked over at the dance floor, where Eve was dancing with Alicia, her brown curls swinging along with her hips. He tilted his head slightly, observing how great Eve's ass looked in that tight pink skirt.

"Stop checking out my girlfriend's ass." He felt a hand clap onto his shoulder and Ted came and sat on the barstool next to him, a grin on his face. "Although I'll admit, it is looking pretty damn fine tonight."

"If she's looking so fine, why aren't you dancing with her? Any guy in here would be happy to be with her."

"Have you ever seen me dance, Cody?" Ted began, propping himself forward on his elbows as if he were about to venture into a long, thoughtful tale. His best friend shook his head in response. "Exactly. I'm not much of a dancer so I think it's best to spare everyone the sight of me busting my moves."

He smiled back. "I dunno...you might need to go over and show some of those guys that you're boss." He signalled over at Eve, who had just been approached by a young guy with spiky blonde hair and a dark green polo tee. The guy pretty much pushed Alicia to the side and started dancing with Eve, who simply rolled her eyes at him. She said something with a shake of her head before sending him away, looking frustrated.

"See, I don't need to look after her." Ted grinned. He went to raise his hand to call over the barmaid but as soon as he did, he felt a hand against his arm and when he turned around, Mickie was stood there. "Mickie."

"What's going on, Ted?" She called over the music. Ted, having a girlfriend, failed to notice how cute she looked, in some boot cut jeans and a purple halter neck, with a reasonably make-up-free face and straightened hair. "I'm glad you could come along." Taking a seat on the stool the other side of Ted, she said in his ear, "This is one of the best clubs in Miami, and not just because they don't check for ID!" Giggling, she took his hand. "Come on, you have to come meet my friends."

Ted let go of her hand but continued to follow her, giving Cody a nudge in the process. "Dude, you have _got_ to get in there! Otherwise you're not in with a chance!"

What Ted didn't seem to realise – and Cody could see from miles off - was that Mickie wasn't interested in him. The three of them walked over to nearby table, where two other girls were sat and both of whom looked extremely familiar. Cody didn't take his eyes off them as he tried to place them.

"Ted, Cody, this is Maria and this is Melina." The two females waved back, as Mickie took a seat next to her two best friends and signalled for the boys to sit down. "I met Ted and Cody at the beach today when I was surfing and I invited them along tonight. Aren't they cute?"

"So what school do you guys go to?" Maria, a beautiful redhead, asked friendlily.

"We've just finished junior year at Beverly Hills High and a bunch of us are on holiday here for the summer." Ted replied. "What about you girls?"

"We've just finished our senior year at Miami Beach Senior High School." Mickie said. "College next year."

"Oh yeah? What colleges are you looking at?"

"Actually, coincidentally enough, I was looking at UCLA." Mickie smiled. "Right in your neighbourhood."

"Cody..." Melina sat upright and rested her chin against her fist with a smile. "I recognise you from somewhere, Cody. Have we met before? Maria, do you recognise him?"

"I do, I do." The redhead nodded and pursed her lips together. "Hey!" She elbowed Melina, "It's Toby!"

* * *

"Kofi!" Kelly walked over to her boyfriend, dragging along a girl she'd just met by the hand, a wide smile on her face. Alcohol was never going to be Kelly's best friend; actually, when Kelly drank alcohol, _everyone_ was her best friend. "This is Candice! We just met and the bar and she is absolutely _lovely_!"

The brunette who Kelly had acquainted offered up a shy wave and a smile to him. "Nice to meet you."

"Hey, I'm Kofi, the drunken girl's boyfriend." He smiled back, feeling a little embarrassed at his girlfriend's outburst. "So are you from Miami?"

"Originally but I'm actually studying at Morgan State University so I'm currently calling Baltimore home." She replied. "Kelly said you were a junior in high school. Have you started looking at colleges yet?"

"Yeah and Morgan State is my first choice." He said enthusiastically, wrapping an arm around Kelly's shoulders. "What's it like there? Because I've been on tours and it looks awesome but I guess it's not the same as actually going there."

Candice nodded knowingly. "Y'know how everyone says college is the best years of your life? It's actually true. I've just finished my first year and it's so amazing there. It's so different to high school but that's a good thing; leaving behind all the drama and baggage you've picked up. And you meet so many amazing new people as well-" Kofi was so caught up in what Candice was saying, he barely took any notice as Kelly threw his arm off her and stormed off.

She didn't even walk over to the bar, instead she went straight out the door and onto the sidewalk before beginning the walk home.

Okay, so maybe this whole college thing was getting to her. Candice had only planted more seeds of excitement in Kofi's Morgan State plans and that was the last thing she wanted. This summer, she just wanted things to be simple between them. She knew that next year, there'd be plenty of college decision drama to deal with and she wanted a summer without it.

"Kelly!" The blonde turned her head and saw that running up behind her was Randy from the side of the road when their car broke down. There was a confused look on his handsome face, at the pretty girl walking alone at night. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She was well aware that her eyes were slightly teary and she'd left her coat in the club and was shivering as the evening turned colder but she hoped Randy hadn't caught on.

"Where are you going?"

"Home." She said stiffly. "I was at the Quirk Club with my friends and I just...wanted to go home."

Randy nodded slowly, taking off his jacket and placing it over Kelly's shoulders. "Take this. I don't want you to get cold." He looked at her with a small smile. "Are you gonna be okay?"

She gave him a nod of her own but it wasn't convincing enough.

"Come on, I'll walk you home."

* * *

Tbh, I rushed this chapter a little but I got everything in I needed.  
The editions of Randy and Mickie are sure to bring lots of drama, right?  
Anyway, hope you enjoyed and please leave a **review **:)


	9. Butterflies

Thanks for all the reviews so far :) Here's chapter 9...

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**BUTTERFLIES**

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**Scarcely opening her eyes to the blinding sunlight that streamed through the curtains, Kelly felt as if she'd been hit by a bus. Her eyes, head and limbs felt heavy underneath her and her mouth had completely dried out. She looked to her right and thanked God that Kofi was able to sleep through the attractive sight of his girlfriend dry-retching.

"What happened last night?" She muttered to herself, getting out of bed and rubbing her sore eyes.

At her bedside, the alarm clock read seven am; the rest of the house would surely be asleep? Everyone got in late the previous night so Kelly didn't expect to see anyone until noon. She walked towards the mirror and saw she was still wearing the same clothes from the night before, which were now much more creased. Slipping out of the dress, she grabbed some denim shorts and one of Kofi's t-shirts before tiptoeing downstairs.

The kitchen was a bombsite. Empty cartons of Chinese food lay around the worktops and by the looks of things, someone had an accident with some ketchup, as the sauce covered the floor. Kelly decided to take the mature approach as she found a mop under the stairs and cleaned up the mess, before putting the empty cartons into a couple of bin bags. Once she'd finished playing mommy, she made two cups of coffee and carried them upstairs.

During her chores, memories of her drinking came flooding back, along with leaving the club annoyed with Kofi and his talk of Morgan State and letting Randy walk her home. Nothing even happened between her and Randy, but why did she feel so guilty about it? He literally walked her to her door, just to make sure nothing happened to her on the way home. She vaguely remembered rattling about Kofi but very little came into her head.

As she re-entered the bedroom, she climbed back into bed next to Kofi, the coffee cup in her hands warming up her fingers. At the movement of the mattress, Kofi awoke and looked up at his girlfriend. After a couple of seconds, he shot her a weary smile and mumbled something that sounded vaguely like a 'Good morning'.

"You look like you could use this." She handed the mug to her boyfriend, before giving him a quick peck on the lips. "How're you feeling?"

"Not hungover," He said hopefully. "Just tired. I left with Cody, Ted and Eve at what must've been like...three am?"

"No wonder you're so tired." Kelly raised her coffee mug to her lips and drank.

"What happened to you last night? One minute, we were talking to that girl-" He clicked his fingers, trying to remember her name. "-Candice! Yeah, she was called Candice. Anyway, yeah, what happened? We were talking about college and you just...stormed off."

Kelly raised an eyebrow, showing that that was the problem.

"The college thing again?" Kofi groaned and tried sitting upright. "Babe," He pulled her into his arms, allowing her to tip her head so it rested against his shoulder. "Listen, you need to stop worrying about it-"

"I know, I know, but when you get so excited about Morgan State, it's hard." She admitted, her eyes wide and sad. "Things are _so_ good right now and I don't want that to change. I know you have your heart set on Morgan State, like mine's set on Florida, but they're so far from each other and what if we can't make it work? I don't want to lose you, Kofi and I just-"

"Shh!" He could feel his girlfriend getting worked up, so he squeezed her a little tighter. "You're getting worked up again. Just because we're going to different colleges, doesn't mean we won't stay together. Loads of people manage to make it work, so who's to say we won't?" He sipped his hot coffee before putting it back down. "This summer's about having fun, so let's have fun, right?"

"Right," She nodded decisively, her thoughts now reassured.

"So what's on the menu for breakfast?"

"Honestly? I think all there is in the fridge is a lump of feta cheese and some barbeque sauce. We _seriously_ need to go shopping." Despite her hangover, Kelly wanted to stay positive. "Maybe we could go shopping early and make breakfast for the rest of the house? Or y'know, lunch, judging by last night's shenanigans."

"What's with the charitable attitude?" Kofi grinned at his girlfriend, to which she shrugged innocently in response. "By the way, did you walk home on your own last night? I can't think Miami at night is the safest of places."

Randy crossed Kelly's mind and without even flinching, she shook her head. "I managed."

* * *

Maryse was the first to admit that she enjoyed being the centre of attention, especially when the attention came from a group of males. Lying on the beach in a tiny black bikini on her towel, she could feel the eyes of every man on her.

She sat upright and lowered her Jackie O sunglasses – she'd always seen herself as the first lady of Beverly Hills and hoped that translated to Miami – so she could scan her eyes around the beach for any potential males. A group of surfer boys were clustered down the lower end of the shore and she waved a hand in a small wave, which they all responded. Damn, she was good. Being in Florida hadn't stopped Maryse's womanly ways; she was just as irresistible to the opposite sex as ever.

This summer was about three things for her; sun, socialising and sex. So far, she was two down but it was still early. And with the way things were going with Wade, it wouldn't be long before the third was ticked off her list-

"I don't know how happy Will would be if he found out you were flirting with surfers on the beach." The spot on the sand next to her was filled by Mike. "The last thing you want is a British psycho on your case."

"Firstly, he's not called Will, he's called Wade." Maryse corrected, waggling a manicured nail at Mike. "And secondly, we've been out together once. I doubt he's gonna get jealous if I have some harmless conversation with a couple of males."

"You know just how to sugar-coat everything, don't you?" He grinned, lying down next to Maryse and pulling out a pair of sunglasses of his own.

"You're a fine one to talk, Mr Mizanin." She smiled back slyly, tilting so the tops of their heads were touching against each other. "I saw you at the club last night with that blonde girl in the trashy dress. Don't tell me you didn't do the nasty with her. Nasty being the operative word; you could catch herpes just looking at that girl."

"Actually, that's the exact reason I _didn't_ get with her." Mike pointed out. "So I got with her friend instead."

The previous night just proved to Mike that he could mack on every girl in Miami, but none of them would take his mind off of Maryse. Every time he looked over at her, she'd be either dancing with Wade, or making out with him at the bar, his grubby British hands all over her thighs and ass. Did he have _any_ respect for a beautiful girl like Maryse? Apparently not.

"So when're you seeing Wade again?"

"He has my number. I'm leaving it up to him to call me." She shrugged, licking her already glossy lips at the surfers.

"Well...he'd be a fool not to."

* * *

"I'll have the lentil, feta and pomegranate salad."

"And I'll have the steak." Dolph handed his menu back to the waitress before looking across the table at Nikki. "Don't you ever just want like...a giant cheeseburger or something?"

"Sort of." The twin took tiny sips from her glass of orange juice. "As a cheerleader, everyone expects you to be super in shape so you can't eat shit and you get used to not eating shit because of it." She paused. "You've got a good body and you eat nothing but shit. How do you do it? Maryse would slaughter you if you were a cheerleader."

"Playing basketball just burns off anything you eat. It's so active and you're moving non-stop."

Nikki nodded in all the right places as Dolph continued to talk. Their relationship was a mystery to her. Was this a date? The previous night at the Quirk Club, they'd made out and gone home and well, you know, but that was always the way things went with them. Getting Dolph into bed wasn't hard; it was getting him to admit his feelings that she found difficult.

"So, what're we doing tonight?" Dolph asked as the waitress brought over their food and he cut into his steak, taking a huge bite out of it.

"I dunno, no-one's planned anything yet." Nikki shrugged, picking at her salad. She hated Dolph for bringing up cheeseburgers and she now so badly craved one. "What're you thinking?"

"Maybe we don't have to go out." Under the table, he placed a hand on Nikki's knee, his fingers tickling at the soft skin, bringing giggles out of her. "We could just...stay in."

She didn't have to answer, as Dolph leaned across the table and kissed her lips, his hands rested either side of her head. When he pulled away, he pushed the strands of brown hair behind her ears, showing off her beautiful face. Speechless, she bit down on her bottom lip and offered up a bright smile before returning to her salad.

* * *

As the midday sun reached its hottest, everyone had cleared off, leaving Tiffany in the kitchen surrounded by dishes.

"Without me, this place would be a pigsty." She muttered, piling all the plates into the dishwater. Considering the brilliantness of the previous night and it's slightly boring follow-up, she felt like Cinderella.

She'd had absolutely no reason to be nervous about her date with Drew. He didn't leave her side all night and treated her like a total lady, ending the evening by walking her home, placing a kiss on her cheek and promising to take her out again. It was everything she hoped it would be and just thinking about him gave her butterflies. He'd texted her earlier that morning inviting her out for dinner, so until then, Tiffany planned to spend every moment thinking about him.

The sound of footsteps startled Tiffany from her thoughts and when she turned around, she saw Jack Swagger coming down the stairs. "Shouldn't you be out with the guys?" She asked. He was still in the sweatpants he slept in – and nothing else – and his blonde hair stuck up in random tufts, making her smile. "I didn't realise anyone was home."

"Yeah, well I had a late night last night so I needed to catch up on some sleep." He came into the kitchen and sat down on one of the barstools. "Damn, did I miss breakfast?"

"It's two pm!"

In the past, she and Jack hadn't had much interaction – the captain of the basketball team wasn't exactly in her circle of friends. She tried not to make assumptions about people, despite what Eve told her about Jack, so when she found out he was coming to Miami, she vowed to be nothing less than pleasant to him.

"I _am_ late, aren't I?" He chuckled back. "Guess I'd better get started on lunch then."

"You want me to make you a sandwich?" Tiffany offered, already going into the cupboards and pulling out bread. "Kofi and Kells went shopping earlier so we're stocked up on food." Rifling through the fridge, she called to him, "How does turkey sound? Or are you vegetarian, because we've got cheese."

"Turkey sounds awesome." Jack replied, watching as she started preparing it. "You're totally the new Jovita."

"Who's Jovita?" She held up a jar of mustard, to which he gave a thumbs up in response.

"My housekeeper back in Beverly Hills. At home, she does everything for me...in fact, when you've made my lunch, maybe you could get started on my laundry?"

Of course he was joking but that didn't stop Tiffany rolling her eyes. "Hey, I work in a restaurant, I'm used to giving people sneeze food!"

"Waiting staff really do that?"

"We prefer spit food actually." She smiled cheekily. "Much more discrete."

"Okay I trust you." Jack cautiously took a bite out of the sandwich Tiffany put in front of him, wondering how discrete she could be. "It's not bad. So what restaurant do you work at?"

"The Grape Vine." She responded, once again clearing up. "Do you know it?"

"Yeah, I've been there a couple of times. Although I might not now you've mentioned the spit food."

Truthfully, Jack hadn't paid much attention to Tiffany before. It was nothing against the blonde, she just hadn't crossed his radar but the more he looked at her, the more notice he took. Today, she looked pretty and polished, in a short denim skirt and a floral tank top, with her hair neatly pulled back by a pink Alice band. She wasn't what you'd call sexy or hot but very all-American. And nice. Nice could be good.

Jack finished up his sandwich in silence, as Tiffany continued to clean around him. When he was done, he said, "So, what're you doing for the rest of the day?"

"Oh, I dunno." Tiffany shrugged. "I'll probably see what the girls are doing and tag along with them. What about you?"

"Nothing planned yet." He replied before casually adding, "Once you've finished clearing up, maybe we could hit the beach or something?"

Tiffany hesitated for a couple of seconds. "Yeah." She eventually decided. "That would be great."

"Well, do you need any help with the rest of this mess?" Jack Swagger had never cleaned in his life.

"That'd be great too."

* * *

"Hi," Eve approached the front desk of the Miami Community Centre, offering a polite smile for the receptionist sat at her computer. "I was wondering if you could tell me what room Frederick Torres is running his class in."

"It's on the third floor and will be the first door when you get out of the elevator. It'll have a sign on the door saying 'Journalism For Beginners'."

"Thanks."

Walking towards the elevator, Eve could feel her heart beating faster and faster. She decided against telling the rest of the house about her plans. She made up some lie about going shopping for some aspirin as she still had a headache after the previous night. There were so many people she wanted to tell – Ted, Kofi and Kelly most of all – but she knew she couldn't. If her dad turned her down or told her that he wanted nothing to do with her, then how was she supposed to go back to them and admit she'd been rejected? That would be almost as hard as the rejection itself.

She was finally here, about to meet her dad for the first time. How was she going to go about it? Just...introduce herself to him? 'Hi Dad, it's me, the daughter you abandoned'. No, definitely not good to make a scene. Perhaps she could quietly pull him aside at the end of the class and let him know, as politely as possible. There wasn't going to be an easy way to do this, was there?

The elevator bell rang and Eve stepped out and saw the sign reading 'Journalism For Beginners'. Here she was.

Through the glass on the door, she did her best to get a glance at who was inside. The frosted glass made it blurry and she could only see the outlines of the backs of people's heads, as well as a man talking at the front of the room that she assumed was her dad. That outline suddenly began to move even closer to the door and in what seemed like the slowest seconds of Eve's life, the door handle turned and Frederick Torres appeared.

Eve made sure she had no expectations of her father so when he came to the door, she wasn't surprised or relieved. He must've been in his early fifties, tall with slightly greying hair. His face was reasonably handsome and line-free, considering his age. He wore a pair of dark jeans, a white shirt and a brown jacket that was smart without making too much of an effort.

Giving her an easy smile, he said, "Hey, are you here for the course?"

"Umm...yes." She stuttered, suddenly unable to look anywhere but down at her feet.

"Great. Come inside." He held open the door for her and once she was inside, closed it again. "Sorry, I didn't catch your name."

"I'm Ev-" She stopped. Perhaps giving her real name wouldn't be the wisest idea. "I'm Lea Florres." How discrete, she thought once she words were out of her mouth.

"Great. Take a seat, Lea, and let's get started."

* * *

Plenty going on in this chapter!  
With this story, I'm trying to fit in as many stories as possible, as well as the main Eve/Ted & Kofi/Kelly goings on.  
So, please leave a **review**, my lovelies :)


	10. She Moves In Her Own Way

Thank you for all the reviews so far :) Here's chapter 10...

* * *

**SHE MOVES IN HER OWN WAY**

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* * *

**

From the balcony of her bedroom, Eve had the best view in Miami. The morning was quintessentially summery with the air tangy with sea salt and from her iPod, Jason Mraz's soothing voice easing her into the day. Down on the beach, surfers were already gathering as well as pretty girls starting their tanning early.

"Morning beautiful," Ted came through the balcony doors and knelt beside his girlfriend, kissing her perfumed neck.

"It _is_ a beautiful morning." She jokingly commented, placing down the pen in her hand.

"What're you doing?"

"Just writing some letters." Eve lied, covering up her paper with a copy of Cosmopolitan. "My grandma mentioned something about me writing to her so I thought I'd get started early."

"You're so cute." He kissed her again. "Are you feeling better now, by the way?"

"Huh?"

"Last night, you had a headache? That's why you went out to buy aspirin?"

"Oh right!" She exclaimed. "Yeah, much better thanks." It wasn't like Eve enjoyed lying to Ted, it was just simpler at this stage.

The evening class she'd attended had actually been pretty amazing. Her father had a real way with words and could be both intellectual and relatable, as well as someone with plenty of experience and life lessons to tell. Picking his brains had been surprisingly interesting. At one point, he asked the class to write something of their own which he read. He was particularly complimentary of Eve's – or Lea's – work, telling her she had an engaging writing style and a natural gift and that if she wrote some more stuff in her spare time, he'd give her some feedback.

In that moment, Eve felt a real connection with her dad, even if he didn't get it. They shared something – a love of writing – and he was so admiring of her. Of course, her whole life, her mom and stepdad had showered her in appreciation but somehow, from Frederick, it felt different, in a good way.

"-and one of the guys told me this place does the best eggs in Miami." Apparently Ted had been talking the whole time. "Shall we go?"

"What?"

"All day breakfast at the Bread Bin. Best eggs in Miami?" Ted said with a suspicious grin. "Are you sure you're okay? You seem a little...I dunno, a little out of it?"

"What? No, I'm fine." Eve insisted. "Breakfast sounds great. I could kill for a plate of scrambled eggs. Although it's not the same unless-"

"-unless they have baked beans on because otherwise, they can be too dry. But nothing will ever compare to when your mom cuts up prosciutto ham and puts it inside with a knob of butter." Ted finished her sentence. "Eve Torres, I know you better than you know yourself."

Maybe Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat on her iPod were right; she was lucky to be in love with her best friend.

"Let me just throw something on." Eve went back into the bedroom and pulled on a floaty floral summer dress over her bikini and pulling off her denim shorts. "So what did you get up to last night?"

"I just ended up going out with Cody and meeting up with Mickie, who we met the other night." Ted replied. "I think you'd really like Mickie."

"Mickey?" Eve mused. Any friend of Ted's was a friend of hers, and she was sure she and this Mickey boy would get along famously.

* * *

During his time in Miami, Mike had found a contrast between the main boardwalks in the morning and at night. At night, it was reasonably empty with the odd couple or groups of youths drinking on the streets and singing as they walked, the atmosphere jovial. On this morning, however, it seemed like the whole of Miami was there. Old people sat on benches eating ice-creams, kids running around like headless chickens and the occasional hot chick on rollerblades.

"Check out the ass on her." Mike's eyes followed a leggy blonde in tight cycling shorts as she bladed into the distance.

Rosa, who was walking along next to him, holding hands with her boyfriend Zack, emitted a small scoff. "Pig." She glanced over at her own boyfriend, who was staring in the same direction as Mike. "Baby!" Elbowing him in the ribs, she shot him a scowl.

"Sorry." He muttered sheepishly. "But you have to admit, she's got a good ass."

The Latina looked over at the blonde, "Damn, she _has_ got a nice booty."

"See what I mean? I have a gift."

"When it comes to spotting a good ass?" Rosa scoffed at Mike once again. "Yeah, real talent you've got there." Stopping outside one of the bars, a hopeful look sat on her face. "Breakfast?"

"You want a drink for breakfast?" This time, it was Zack's turn to pity his girlfriend.

"I'm on holiday! If I can't have a mojito with my breakfast on holiday, where can I have one? Plus, the bar staff are so lenient in Miami, I can get served everywhere. Although having my big sister's old driving license does help."

"As much as I'd love to help feed your verging alcohol addiction," Mike began sarcastically, "There's a wet t-shirt contest on the beach which I plan on getting a front row seat for. And Zack, if your woman wanted to take part, I would be fully supportive of her."

With a roll of her eyes, Rosa followed Mike and Zack down along the boardwalk, towards the edge of the pier however as the crush of people cleared, the path emptied out and right on the edge, looking out across the ocean, Mike saw Maryse and Wade.

Instantly, Mike wished he could erase the image that was now replaying in his head. Wade's arms were around the beautiful blonde's waist, his hands against the tanned skin of her back as he whispered in her ear. Maryse giggled in response, her fingers tracing lines against his toned biceps. By pure instinct, Mike flinched as he watched Wade lean down and place a long, slow kiss on Maryse's lips, which she responded passionately, her hands resting either side of his face.

"Damn, not scared of PDA, are they?" Zack joked, unaware of the sudden change in mood.

"I think she's really into Wade, actually." Rosa commented. "She's not looking for anything serious but neither is he, so it kinda works out perfectly."

Mike didn't say anything. There was a wet t-shirt contest on at the beach and he needed to take his mind off of Maryse.

* * *

"Hey Cody!"

They hadn't even been in Miami a week, so Cody definitely didn't expect people to be calling his name whilst he took out the trash. This must be how celebrities felt, he thought with a grin. It was a pleasant surprise, however, as he turned around and saw Mickie James riding her bicycle down the street. She stopped in front of the trash can, a smile as bright as the Florida sun.

"Hey Mickie." He replied, closing the lid and facing her. "What're you doing here?"

"I was just passing through and then I saw you." Blocking out the sun with her hand, she looked up at the beach house. "This is where you're staying? Pretty fancy digs, Mr Rhodes."

"I know, right?" Okay, Cody thought that maybe Mickie was a _little_ out of his league but a guy could dream.

"So, is Ted around?" She asked innocently.

"He headed out a couple of hours ago and I don't think he'll be back until later. Why?"

"Just...curious."

"Well...if I were you, I'd lower those curiosity levels." He instructed, trying to sound as stern as possible.

"Chill out Cody, I'm not gonna take your boyfriend away." She joked, lightly punching his arm. "I'd better get going, I'm off to Maria's house to meet her and Melina. Tell Ted I said hi." The brunette disappeared away again.

Cody was definitely suspicious of Mickie. He and Ted had been throwing a football around at the beach the other night and Mickie had stopped by to chat to them for a while, her attention based solely on Ted. It wasn't that Cody was jealous but he cared too much about Ted and Eve to see Mickie get in the middle of them. Mickie clearly had dishonourable intentions and was dangerous.

But when danger was wearing denim hot pants, it was too hard to resist.

* * *

Tiffany sat in the windowsill of the beach house living room, her legs curled underneath her and her back supported by one of the cushions. She and Drew were going out for dinner and he was supposed to be picking her up in a couple of minutes so she wanted to be ready when he arrived.

On the other side of the glass, she watched as Jack walked up the path towards the front door, a sheen of sweat covering his forehead. He'd been running so he was bound to be hot. Doing the guy a favour, Tiffany went into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge before going outside to hand it to him.

"Damn, you're getting good at this whole housekeeper thing." Jack laughed, his breath heavy as he took the bottle of water and drained half of its contents. When he looked up at Tiffany again, his eyes widened. "Wow."

Jack was unable to take his eyes off of her. She looked absolutely amazing. A short, simple black dress hugged her curves – curves Jack didn't even realise she had – and a pair of simple black slingbacks and a small pearly necklace completed it. The make-up on her face was simple as she obviously didn't need a lot and her hair was loose in its natural waves. She looked so elegant.

"Wow what?" Tiffany said eventually, a shy smile on her face.

"You look...really beautiful. Really beautiful." He paused. "Where are you going?"

"Drew's taking me out to dinner." She checked her cell phone to see what time it was, worrying he was late. Nope, he still had a couple of minutes. "I think we're going to that Italian place downtown? It should be really nice seeing as I haven't had pasta since I got here and I totally have a craving for it."

It surprised Jack how shocked he was at Tiffany admitting how much she loved pasta. Clearly he'd spent too long dating girls that had serious food complexes. Actually, it was kinda hot.

What was wrong with him? He was finding Tiffany hot? This girl he'd never looked twice at before, this girl that was so different from the girls he usually went for. He was the kind of guy that only went for the prom queen or the head cheerleader and yet here he was, developing one of the school's potential Ivy League students. It was so unlike him.

"Well, hopefully Drew shares your love of carbs." Jack grinned back at her.

"If they're serving pasta carbonara, I'm gonna be the happiest girl on earth." The blonde girl didn't say anything else, as a car pulled up outside the house and Drew stuck his head out of the window, giving Tiffany a wave. "I'd better get going. See you later."

Another thing that surprised Jack? How disappointed he felt watching Tiffany drive away with Drew.

* * *

"I know it's still within our first couple of days here," Kofi began, sprawled out on one of the couches with an arm around Kelly. "But I'm _more_ than happy to spend a night at home tonight."

"Tell me about it," Montel called from the other couch, he and Brie pretty much mirroring the other couple. "I went to the gym for the first time since we got here and I'm exhausted."

"And I think I'm still tired from that first night at the Quirk Club. I need my rest to recover!"

"I've got a plan," Kelly lazily raised a finger, her voice just as mellow as the two guys. "We can order pizza, watch some movies and have an early night. I dunno how that sounds to you guys, but to me, that's perfect."

"Ditto that." Brie commented, reaching into her pocket and pulling out her cell phone to dial in the number of the pizza place so she could place her orders. When she was done, she turned looked at the opposite couch. "Kof, I still don't get how you managed to get home from the Quirk Club at three am. Don't the clubs close at like...two?"

"Well, we all left at two when it closed but Ted and Eve went off somewhere so Cody and I were left. We went and got burgers from that little deli down the road from the club and we stopped to talk to a group of people our age who were on holiday from New York. They were going down to the beach so we followed them and found Ted and Eve and after that we went back to the house."

"We left pretty early that night, actually." Brie admitted. "I think we got back to the house at twelve and we were the first back."

"We were back before you." Montel pointed across at Kelly. "It was pretty nice of that Randy guy to walk you home, wasn't it?"

Two icy glares were shot in Montel's direction, from Brie and Kelly, both of whom realised this might not have been the best idea. Kelly had sworn Brie to secrecy after she and Montel saw him at the door but she didn't think to do the same to Montel. She planned to keep Randy a secret from Kofi but apparently now, that wasn't going to be an option. Brie elbow Montel in the ribs, eliciting a 'hey!' from the basketball player.

"Randy?" Kofi raised an eyebrow at his girlfriend. "Who's Randy?"

"Just this guy the girls and I met when we were driving down." The blonde replied innocently. "He saw me outside the club when I was about to leave and offered to walk me home because he didn't want anything to happen to me. No big deal."

"Please, when a guy walks a girl home, there's always an ulterior motive."

"Well, if he didn't have one, he didn't show it because he was fine." Kelly defended. "Seriously, nothing happened. He walked me to my door, I gave him a quick hug to say thanks and I went inside."

"She's telling the truth, Kofi." Montel added, redeeming himself. "Brie and I saw the whole thing, nothing went down. Randy just seemed like a decent guy."

Kofi looked at the trio for a moment, before giving a small nod. "Alright, I get it." He placed a small kiss on the side of Kelly's head. He believed Kelly; he had no reason not to trust her.

* * *

"Thanks for letting me use your shower." Maryse came out of the ensuite bathroom in Wade's hotel room, wearing one of the Brit's shirts and drying her hair with a fluffy white towel. "If I don't wash it straight away, it'll get all frizzy with the beach air."

Wade, who was sat on the edge of the bed, grinned. "High maintenance, much?"

"Shut up!" Maryse sat down next to him, slapping him across the chest. Okay, she was high maintenance but it was far too early in their relationship for him to know that.

...not that Maryse was looking for a relationship. All she wanted this summer was some fun and that was certainly what she was getting from Wade. They'd spent the day together and he was a really cool guy. Both of them just wanted the same thing, so no-one was going to get hurt. It was a pretty sweet deal they had going on.

"Hey, I never said there was anything wrong with a high maintenance girl." Wade commented. "Just means it's a girl with good taste. And because you're spending time with me, you have _impeccable_ taste."

Damn, everything that boy said sounded so sexy with that accent. "Well, I do have _very_ good taste." She managed to swing a leg over so she was sitting on his lap, her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. "And obviously you do too."

She pulled him in by the collar so her lips pressed against his. The shirt of Wade's she wore was quickly unbuttoned and discarded as the two moved further up the bed until they were thrashing around the mattress, clothes scattering everywhere. Not daring to remove her lips from his, Maryse let out an audible groan as she heard her phone buzzing on the bedside table.

Quickly breaking the kiss, she leaned over to check her cell phone and read the unread message in her inbox.

'_Where r u? U wanna do something tonight? Miz x'_

Maryse rolled her eyes before tossing her phone aside, completely oblivious to the feelings behind the text.

"Who is it?" Wade asked, fumbling in the bedside drawer for a rubber.

"No-one important." The blonde pushed him down and straddled his waist, holding up the rubber with a seductive smile. "Now, where were we?"

* * *

"Seriously, you didn't have to drive me home, I could've just gotten a cab." Tiffany protested as Drew pulled up outside the beach house. "You're going out of your way because the hotel's-"

"Tiff!" He laughed, cutting her off. "It's not a big deal. Besides, what kind of a date would I be if I didn't drive you home?"

Tiffany shot her date a smile from the passenger seat of Drew's rental car. "Well, I'm very thankful." She paused. "And you paid for my dinner as well! I'll have to pay you back at some time."

"Is that you saying you want to go on another date with me?"

Now that he mentioned it, yeah, Tiffany would be happy to go out with Drew again. It was difficult to get over what a gentleman the Scotsman was to her; he paid for her meals, he listened to every word she said and in essence, he was just...amazing.

"By the way, I have a present for you on the backseat."

A copy of The Road sat on the backseat of the car and as Tiffany turned around. She smiled as she remembered Drew taking her book the first time he met her. It was only a couple of days prior but it felt like an eternity. How time flies. "Thank you very much." She clutched the book to her chest, a soft smile gracing her feature. "Did you try reading it?"

"It's your book, not mine. But the blurb on the back looked pretty interesting." He said with a grin of his own.

Silently, Drew got out of the car and went over to Tiffany's door, opened it for her and took her hand, leading her up to the porch of her house.

"I'll call you tomorrow." Drew said, he and Tiffany sharing a quick hug.

Their eyes met under the shine of the porch light. The bulb began to hum as Tiffany felt her heartbeat speed up and her face begin to flush under Drew's intense stare. He placed his hands on her waist and his lips moved towards hers in what would be Tiffany's first kiss.

At first, it felt weird but after a couple of seconds, it was soft and gentle and nice. She wound her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her just as she opened her mouth so he could slip his tongue in. Like before, it was odd at first but she got used to it.

Eventually, Drew pulled away and gave her another smile, which she returned. He put a kiss on her cheek, before once again saying, "I'll call you tomorrow," and going back to his car. Tiffany watched him drive away before going into the house and realising the smile plastered on her face would have to be surgically removed because it wasn't coming off anytime soon.

* * *

Ooh, things are getting juicy now.  
Quick questions I would you if you would answer - Favourite character? Favourite couple? Any predictions for the future of the story?  
Please leave a **review, **lovely people! Xx


	11. I Just Want To Feel

Thanks for all the reviews, here's chapter 11 :)

* * *

**I JUST WANT TO FEEL**

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* * *

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The light on the front porch of the beach house was perfect for executing killer manicures so in the morning sunshine, Kelly coated her fingernails in a glossy shade of peach she'd stolen out of Maryse's make-up bag. It wasn't a big deal; the French-Canadian blonde was spending so much time with Wade, you could've taken the bed out of her bedroom and she wouldn't be complaining.

Everyone automatically flocked to the back of the house, as that was where the beach was and because of this, the beautiful front porch didn't get nearly enough attention. There was the most comfortable swinging loveseat which Kelly could sleep on if she really wanted to.

"Wonderful morning!" Cycling past the house was the postman, a wide smile on his face as he acknowledged the teenage blonde.

"Absolutely." Kelly responded.

The postman approached the blonde, strolling up the path with an envelope in his hand. "Sorry it's a little tatty; I had to swerve on my bike and a bunch of letters fell out. Some people shouldn't be allowed on the roads. Kofi Kingston lives here, doesn't he?"

"Uh huh." Kelly accepted the half open envelope and waved the postman back down the path. "Thank you!"

Kelly left the front porch and went back into the house. As she walked up the stairs to hers and Kofi's bedroom, she wondered if reading his post was an invasion of privacy. The envelope was already open and it was practically there for her to glance at. Besides he was her boyfriend, what would he be hiding from her? It was only when she reached the bedroom, however, and closed the door that she decided to read it.

_Kofi,  
It sounds like you're having an amazing time in the sunshine state! I know you're on vacation and college might not be on your mind but Morgan State are having a summer open weekend which you might be interested in going to. It's only a weekend out of your break and it's a chance for you to make an early impression on possible future lecturers...  
I've enclosed the pack they sent so you can read for yourself and gimme a call to tell me if you're going.  
Dad.  
P.S did you see the Broncos game? Couldn't believe that last touchdown! _

Great, college again. Kelly picked up the Morgan State pack and flicked through it despondently. She knew Kofi would love it; it was exactly the kind of place she could see him going to study.

But although this summer trip to Baltimore would only four days tops, what if it was the highlight of his whole summer? The point of this trip was that it would be the final break, stress-free. No doubt Kofi would come back buzzing for college and Kelly definitely wasn't ready for that.

Without considering the repercussions, she put the pack and letter into one of her drawers, hoping out of sight really was out of mind.

* * *

Although in Miami, the pace was a little slower than LA, Eve still found herself stuck in a buzzing Starbucks queue, waiting for an iced coffee. It was still fairly early in the morning so she'd obviously hit the work rush. Business suits hung around as the staff fired out orders at light speed. From underneath the quilting of her handbag, Eve's cell phone began to buzz. She pulled it out and saw a message from Ted.

_At the beach with Mickie. Come meet us? Ly x_

Her fingers danced across the keypad of her sidekick, firing out a response.

_Just in Starbucks – will meet you soon. Ly2 x_

She was second in line in the queue and watched as the man in front of her ordered a coffee. When he spoke, his voice instantly sounded familiar to her. "Mr Torres?"

Eve's father and journalism teacher turned around and saw his star student in the queue behind him. Frederick offered her a warm smile. "Hey Lea. How're you?"

She often forgot about the fake name and had to mentally remind herself not to correct him. "I'm good, just stopping for some coffee." She replied. "Did you get my email? I sent you my latest piece of writing." In some ways, Eve thought that doing extra writing on her summer vacation was sad but deep down, she actually really enjoyed it.

"Yes, I sent it back this morning with some feedback attached to it. Y'know, I don't say this unless I mean it; you have a real talent when it comes to writing. A natural gift." He waited until she'd put her ordered forward to the barista. _Passed on from you,_ Eve wanted to see, but kept to herself. "You said you'd just finished your junior year? Are you thinking about college?"

"I'm living in California at the moment and I love it there so I'd like to stay local. USC's my first choice, actually."

"I did a journalism short-course at USC; it would be a great place if you were interested in studying." Frederick thanked the barista for his coffee before turning back to her. "Listen, I've gotta go back to work. Will you be at the course this week?"

"Definitely."

"Great, see you there." Her father disappeared out of Starbucks and down the street, leaving Eve with a latte in her hand and the short walk down to the beach ahead of her.

Strolling down the pier, Eve found herself contemplating her conversation with her dad. In all honesty, until this summer, journalism hadn't even crossed Eve's mind as a career. Her love of dance came first and she'd dwelled on the possibility of attending dance school and possibly going on to become a choreographer. The dance industry, however, was not an easy one to break into so the brunette was considering more practical options.

A couple of weeks prior, she and her mom had had the 'future talk'. Dance was the first word to come out of Eve's mouth and as supportive as her mother was, she wanted Eve to have a back-up plan. Coincidentally, Carol also supported the idea of writing, as her daughter's highest grades were in her English classes. There was some brief talk about elementary school teaching as Eve had always been good with kids but Eve's heart certainly wouldn't be in it.

As she reached the edge of the pier, Eve looked out onto the beach. She saw Ted down on the shore, ankle deep in the water. There was a smile on his face and he looked to be laughing but his girlfriend couldn't see what he was looking at or who he was with.

Once she got down onto the sand, she ran over to Ted and jumped on his back, "Hey!" she giggled as he lifted her into the air in a piggyback. When he placed her down on her feet, he pressed a kiss against her lips. "So where's Mickie?" Eve asked.

"Out in the water." He replied.

Eve scanned the sea but could only see a girl in a bikini on a surfboard. She shot her boyfriend a blank look.

"Mickie!" Ted yelled.

A couple of seconds later, that same bikini clad brunette came from out of the water. She was a good four inches shorter than Eve and a little curvier, perfectly showed off by her polka dot bikini top and board shorts. Despite the fact she was shorter, she looked more mature, her face a little older looking than Eve's. This brunette approached the pair with a wide smile.

"Micks, this is my girlfriend, Eve."

Neither girl said anything to this, as they sized each other up, deciding who could take the other one. Eve always remembered Andrew Kingston telling her that after dating many women, he'd found out that all women secretly hate each other and she'd never realised it to be true until that moment. A feeling of surprise certainly overwhelmed them both. Eve hadn't expected Mickey to be a Mickie, so the boobs and feminine features were a shock to her. Ted had never even mentioned having a girlfriend to Mickie therefore Eve's presence wasn't exactly expected.

"Nice to meet you, Eve." It was Mickie that spoke first, even offering a hand for Eve to shake.

Handshakes, were they middle-aged? Either way, Eve accepted it with a smile, "It's nice to meet you too, Mickie."

* * *

Tiffany's fingers coyly played over the keypad of her cell phone, wry smiles coming onto her face each time she received a text. No prizes for guessing who the texts were coming from.

"Oh my God, why don't you just marry the guy?"

Of course, she knew Jack, who was sat at her side, was joking but instantly, her head was flooded with images of long white Vera Wang gowns and lily flower arrangements. It wasn't intentional, the blonde was a natural romantic and anytime anyone mentioned weddings, she was transfixed. She looked over at Jack, who was now grinning at her. "Shut up," She muttered, her eyes once again on the keyboard.

"Don't act dumb, it's obviously Drew." Jack lay back on the sand and closed his eyes to block out the sun.

"Well, duh." She giggled, turning to her side so she was sat legs crossed, looking at Jack. "I really like him, Jack. Like, _really_ like him."

"No way." He replied sarcastically.

Tiffany looked over at her fellow Beverly Hills High student and instantly put her head in her hands. "Oh my God, you think I'm desperate, don't you?" She instantly felt embarrassed. She lay down next to her but turned on her side and propped herself up on her elbow.

When Jack opened his eyes, he found Tiffany staring directly at him, their eyes meeting. He didn't want to stop looking at her. Their faces were mere inches away and he longed to reach out and touch the smooth skin of her cheek or to run his fingers through her blonde locks. He had these feelings for her and he just wasn't sure how to control them.

"Truthfully, I've never even had a real boyfriend before." She admitted quietly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear that had escaped from her ponytail. "Until the other night, I'd never even been kissed. Now there's this guy...this great guy that makes me feel really happy and there's so much potential. Before, I just felt like a loser but now I feel...comfortable. I'm not scared."

Jack watched as Tiffany spoke, her beautiful smile only getting wider. This girl was genuine. She was honest and real and not trying to be anyone else.

Her cell phone started ringing and Tiffany looked down. "It's Drew. Do you mind if I-"

"No, go ahead."

She hopped to her feet and jogged up the pier, out of Jack's earshot. Yes, of course he wanted to listen in.

"You've been spending a hell of a lot of time with Tiffany." The spot where she'd been sat was now Miz-occupied, the self-professed chick magnet squinting into the brightness.

"Yeah, well, she's a cool girl." Jack replied.

Mike stared at his best friend before saying, "Since Eve, you've just been so...you're not you. What happened to you? What happened to the Jack Swagger that had all the girls in LA fawning over him? I mean, how many girls have you flirted with since we've got here?"

Complete silence.

"Exactly. And that's why we're going to hit the clubs and we are going to score some hot chicks."

Both guys knew they weren't being themselves and were in essence, pretty miserable, waiting around for girls that weren't even aware of their interest. They needed to go back to their old selves and the Beverly Hills playboys were about to be let loose in Miami.

* * *

"She's lovely." Through the crack in the kitchen door, Montel's grandmother – or 'Grammy P' as he often referred to her – looked into the living room, where Brie was demurely sat on the couch, listening to his Gramps and laughing in all the right places. "Really very beautiful. And Brianna is such a lovely name."

"Well, as you can tell, I think she's lovely too." Montel said proudly.

Many members of Montel's family lived in Miami so he saw this trip as a chance to introduce them to his girlfriend. Back in California, he was a regular at Brie and Nikki's house and was so comfortable around their parents and relatives, he just wanted Brie and the Porters to get along just as well.

So far, she was making a fine impression on Grammy and Gramps. In a simple blue sundress and flats, she was a natural beauty that glowed and lit up the small living room.

"I'm very happy you brought her here." Grammy continued. "Not that you need our approval; you obviously have good taste."

"Yeah, I love her." Montel agreed, sat at the kitchen table and watching as she prepared the dinner. "It's crazy. I mean, this is a girl I can really see myself being with for a long time and maybe even one day living with. I can just...be myself around her."

"Boy, that's what they call true love." She chuckled. Tell her grandson to hold still, she disappeared into one of the bedrooms and came out a moment later with a closed palm.

"What're you holding?"

"This is the ring your grandfather gave me when we were fifteen years old. He told me he wanted to be with me forever and this ring was a symbol of that. Three years later, we got married and another three years after that, we had your father."

Montel was definitely a little freaked out. "Whoa, Grams, I love Brie but I can't propose to her-"

"This isn't an engagement ring. It's just a reminder that you care about her and you want her to know that. Back when I was your age, it was also a promise we'd stay pure until our wedding night but something tells me I might not be able to hold you to that." She added.

"Isn't giving her a ring a little...?" It wasn't the fifties anymore; you don't just give someone a ring as a present. After all, the last thing he wanted was to scare his girlfriend away.

"I never gave this ring to your father because when he was young, he flitted from girl to girl without ever developing any genuine bond like you and Brie. I know I haven't known her for long but something tells me she's a good girl that will be good for _you_." She paused. "Just think about it. If you change your mind, you can always just give it back to me."

Brie and Montel's history wasn't quite as dramatic as some of the other couples from their class. They briefly dated in freshman year but nothing really came of it so they both dated some other people for a while. Midway through junior year, both contemplated the possibility that things weren't entirely over between them and they decided to give it another go.

Spending those two years apart showed Montel that other girls didn't make him feel the way he did about Brie. She was irreplaceable; just like his Grammy was saying.

He sighed. "Do you have a ring box I can put it in?"

Grammy smiled, knowing Montel would come around. "I'll find one for you."

* * *

The ocean waves brushed up against Kelly's feet, as she held her flip-flops in her right hand. Before the nightlife of Miami began, there was this beautiful period of peace where the sun set over the beach and it was so tranquil. Most nights, Kelly would walk down to the shore whilst everyone else was in the house and she'd just be with herself.

She was having an amazing time in Miami but it was so hectic. It was like...wake-up, beach, lunch, town, nightlife, bed. This was the one time of the day where everything was truly quiet and peaceful. It was wonderful to be a part of. Perhaps it was because most of her family were from Florida and she spent most summers there, along with the fact she lived in California, but Kelly loved the beach. The sand, the waves, the way the sun set into the sea; it was amazing.

"I wouldn't have expected to find you here on your own."

The blonde turned around and saw that walking across the sand towards her was Randy. There was an easy smile on his face, and he wore a pair of jeans he'd rolled up and a white t-shirt, very similar to her own white tank-top and denim shorts combo.

"I like it here in the evening." Kelly admitted, staring out at the pink sky. "It's-"

"Peaceful." He finished, his eyes following hers.

She looked at him with a smile. "Yeah. Exactly."

The silence and distance between them was undeniable. Kelly scarcely let her gaze settled on Randy. There was something intimidating about him – a strange danger – but she liked it. He was serious and severe but the fact he was here, talking to her, told her there must be some friendly connection.

"So you said you were from Beverly Hills. Are you in high school?"

"Yeah, I've just finished junior year at Beverly Hills High. Ready to be a big bad senior." She joked. "What about you?"

"I've just finished senior year down here in Miami." Randy put his hands in his pockets, looking away from the sunset and over at Kelly.

"What're your plans for the future?"

"The forces." He replied with a hint of a smile. "No college for me. I was never really suited to education and my dad was a military man so I guess I'd be following in his footsteps."

"Wow, the military." Her voice came out as little more than a whisper, as their eyes met. "You must be a brave guy."

"No braver than all the other men and women that enrol." He commented modestly with a small shrug. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"What're you planning after high school? It's only a year away, you must have some idea."

Kelly blushed, knowing what her answer was but not wanting to say it aloud. "It's gonna sound so dumb-"

"Go on."

"I want to study broadcast journalism at the University of South Florida. I'd love to be a TV anchor but...I dunno. It just sounds stupid saying that. I started doing my school's TV channel earlier this year and I loved being in front of the camera – sounds stupid, doesn't it? – but...I dunno. I love it and there's nothing I want to do more" She winced, waiting for a scoff as a response. He didn't however, instead listening intently to her. "Unrealistic, right?"

Randy shook his head. "If it's what you want to do, it's what you want to do. I could see you on TV. You seem like someone that could get on TV. You're beautiful, that's always a good start."

Before she could formulate a response, her cell phone in her pocket started buzzing. Kelly pulled it out and saw she had a new message from Kofi. '_Where are you? We're all about to head out. Come back to the house? X' _

"I have to go." She announced, her voice almost sad-sounding. "It's my..." There was reluctance before she said, "boyfriend."

Randy didn't even flinch. "Maybe I'll see you around."

Unsure of how to respond, Kelly gave him a small nod and disappeared up the shore, her head pumping with thoughts of Randy and her stomach flipping over the feeling she knew she shouldn't have been feeling.

* * *

Uh oh, seems things aren't well between Kofi and Kelly. Is Randy going to play a part?  
And what about the Eve/Ted/Mickie saga?  
Brie and Montel will have a story of their own coming up, so I thought this would be a nice way to introduce them.  
Please **review** :)


	12. Way With Words

Thank you for all the feedback so far :) Here's chapter 12...

* * *

**WAY WITH WORDS**

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* * *

**"_Now I'm only allowing myself to buy one dress," _Tiffany called from behind the curtain, "_But I've got five here." _

Eve and Maryse, who were sat on the sofa of the boutique dressing room, turned to each other and expressed rolled eyes at their smitten friend, who had a lunch date later on with the faultless Drew McIntyre. Having both been in relationships before, they understood. This was Tiffany's first _real_ boyfriend and she was excited. And why shouldn't she be? Drew made her happy.

"Show us the first one." Eve replied.

"_I can't, I'm still in my underwear!" _

With another grin, the brunette turned to Maryse. "I'm surprised you aren't dress shopping. Normally when you've got a date, you're in the stores like a bullet."

"Well, when Wade and I are together, the clothes aren't exactly on for long." She said with a sexy smile. "That and I have a suitcase full of dresses."

"So you and Wade must be..." Eve didn't quite know how to finish her sentence.

"Things are good. Very good."

Even though their relationship was purely physical, there had to be some kind of mental connection and Maryse believed she and Wade shared that. Obviously the sex was fantastic but the conversation that went with it was almost as good. Wade had a great sense of humour and he always made her laugh. Maryse refused to let herself get attached though; it was a fling, nothing more.

"It's okay, but I think there's better." Stepping out of the cubicle, Tiffany gave the girls a twirl, showing off the short grey and white halter neck dress. When they murmured their agreement, she went back inside. Just as Tiffany was about to come out in her final dress, Eve's cell phone rang. She left the store to answer it.

"Hello?"

"_Lea?" _

"Huh?"

"_Sorry, is this not Lea Florres?" _It was her father.

"Oh, um, sorry, it is. I couldn't hear you properly. I thought you said...Mia." She garbled quickly down the line. "Anyway, hey Fred. What's up?"

"_I just wanted to let you know that there's an intern position opening up at my newspaper and I'm in charge of the selection process." _Frederick explained. "_It's a couple of days out of each week for the summer and is exactly the kind of thing that would look great when applying for journalism courses." _

"Are you offering me a place?" Eve smiled down the line.

"_Well, only time will tell." _He chuckled back. "_If you interested, I'll email you the details." _

"Sounds great." Unable to take the grin off her face as she re-entered the store, Eve took her seat once again next to Maryse, whose chin was rested against her hand and a look of boredom sat on her pretty features. "Did I miss anything?"

* * *

With Jimmy Eat World blasting through her earphones and the sun coming down onto her closed eyelids, Mickie smiled to herself. Living in Florida was awesome. The weather, the beach, the atmosphere...

"Hey Mickie,"

Opening her eyes to see Ted stood above her, a smile crossed the brunette's lips. Did she mention the boys?

"What's going on, Ted?" Mickie sat upright and tugged out her earphones so she could hear him properly.

"Just thought I'd say hey, I haven't spoken to you since..." His voice trailed away.

Mickie knew what he was talking about. She hadn't seen him since he'd introduced her to Eve – an awkward encounter indeed – but Mickie wasn't looking to hold a grudge. So Ted hadn't told her he had a girlfriend? Big deal. It wasn't like he hid it from her, he just...failed to mention it. Whatever, she was over it.

"...since you introduced me to your girlfriend." She finished with a smile. "She's called Eve, right? She's a gorgeous girl."

"Thanks, I guess. Listen, I just wanted to apologize-"

"Why should you apologize?" Mickie shrugged, running her fingers through the golden sand innocently, allowing it to slip through her fingers. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"I thought I might have sent you mixed signals...I dunno, I just feel like I should've told you sooner." Biting down on his lip, Ted shook his head. "I feel guilty and I don't know why."

"Well, you have nothing to feel guilty about. Like I said, you did nothing wrong. If it makes you feel better, we can just pretend it never happened." She spoke with complete ease but noticing the look on his face, she sighed. "Ted, I want to be your friend but if you're not comfortable with that–"

"Friends." Ted cut her off, holding up a hand in a signal for a high five.

"Friends." Mickie slapped her hand against his in agreement. It didn't bother her. As they began talking about how Eve and Ted got together, she clenched her teeth together in a pleasant smile. Soon enough, things would come together for her and Ted. It was just a matter of time.

* * *

"I should probably get up, shouldn't I?" With his head buried into the pillow on his bed, Kofi's voice was muffled.

"Yeah, you should." Kelly came out from the bathroom where she'd been showering and sat down on the edge of the bed cross-legged. A small chuckle left her, as she looked at her sleepy boyfriend. He was so cute when he was tired. "You're such a lazy ass."

"I'm not lazy!" He protested. "I just stayed out late last night, I have rest to catch up on!"

"You've got to stop getting in from the clubs at like...3am." She joked back, lying down on the bed next to him and allowing him to pull her towel-clad frame close. "I honestly don't know how you manage to stay out that late. It's gets to one and I'm exhausted."

"It's my amazing stamina." He shut his eyes, to which Kelly slapped at his chest. "What?"

"If my memory serves me right, which it does, you promised we'd go to the beach. Then again, that was before you and Cody started dancing on tables at that place...what was it called? The Dude Spot-"

"The Dune Spot." Reluctantly correcting his girlfriend, Kofi climbed out of bed and slipped on some clean boxers, a t-shirt and a pair of shorts. He noticed the look on her face. "What? It's not like I'm hungover."

She giggled. "Can you grab me some clothes?" The blonde asked with a soft smile, vaguely signalling over at the chest of drawers Kofi was stood at. "There should be a pink bikini in the top drawer, just leave it out on the side." Kelly disappeared back into the bathroom to retrieve the sundress she'd left in there.

Her boyfriend pulled open the drawer but when he did, a certain Morgan State pack caught his eye, as well as an already open envelope. What was Kelly doing with a Morgan State pack? For a moment, a flash of excitement went through him. His girlfriend wanted to come to Baltimore with him? That would be awesome.

The novelty soon wore off, however, as he saw the envelope was in fact addressed to him. Pulling out the letter that was inside, he scanned his eyes over his father's writing and felt his stomach sink in an unpleasant way.

Kelly was hiding this from him?

"...I was thinking maybe we could take the car and spend the day down at Virginia Key Beach, instead of just the one by the house." The blonde spoke innocently as she entered the bedroom, slipping into her bikini and sundress whilst drying her hair with a towel. "We could spend the day there, get some lunch, go out in the evening. It's beautiful down there. I remember going there as a kid and-"

"How long have you been hiding this letter from me?"

Completely caught off-guard, Kelly arched an eyebrow at her boyfriend and the letter in his hand. To say she'd forgotten about that was an understatement. "I just-"

"Kelly!"

"I'm sorry!" Both were raising their voices and Kelly didn't know how to get her point across. "It wasn't like I was never going to give it to you, I...I didn't want it to be an issue between us again."

"The only one that's making it an issue is you because you keep bringing up college!"

"Says the guy who's getting college packs in the post."

"I can't help what my dad sends me!" Kofi threw the pack down on the bed and sat down next to it, putting his head in his hands. "Oh my God, Kelly, I feel like we're having the same argument over and over again. We are, aren't we? When it comes to college, I can't do anything right, can I?"

"I got scared, okay? The letter was already open and I saw what was inside and freaked out. Come on, it's not like I threw the letter away! You can't honestly be mad about this-"

Getting to his feet, he looked over at his girlfriend and the wounded expression on her face. "How could you be so stupid?"

"I've apologized, we shouldn't even be arguing about this anymore," Kelly ran over to her boyfriend and stood directly in front of him, running a hand down his handsome face. "I've told you I made a mistake and you know how this college thing makes me feel. You can't still be angry about this."

"How come I am?"

Watching her boyfriend walk over to the door, Kelly said desperately, "Where're you going?"

"I don't know...I just need some space."

* * *

Placing down her napkin as she finished up her main course, Brie looked across the table at Montel. Ever since they'd arrived at the seafood restaurant, her boyfriend had been acting strangely and she was definitely suspicious. After all, she thought the night with his grandparents had gone well. What was wrong with him? "You seem distracted tonight." She announced.

Montel looked up at her blankly. "I'm fine." In reality, the ring box was burning a hole in his pocket.

"Okay," She nodded slowly, gesturing down at her empty plate in an attempt to change the topic. "The salmon roll ups were a good choice. How was your food?"

He murmured something positive in response.

"I've been biting my tongue, but seriously, what's wrong with you tonight? You've barely said two words to me since we got back from your grandparents. What's going on? Did I do something wrong? Because right now, I feel like I'm talking to someone who's very angry with me. Either that or a mute."

The twin got to her feet, ready to leave the restaurant in frustration but her boyfriend grabbed her hand to stop her. "Wait," He sighed as she sat back down. "Sorry, I've just got a lot on my mind."

"So talk to me about it," Brie reached across the table and took her boyfriend's hand. "I'm your girlfriend. When you have problems, you're supposed to tell to me about them."

Reaching into his pocket, Montel pulled out the small ring box and looked up in time to catch Brie's reaction; arched eyebrow and slightly open mouth.

"My grandma told me to give this to you. She wants me to give it to a girl that I love."

"Doesn't she realise we're a bit young to be exchanging rings?" Brie laughed nervously, unsure of how to react as Montel popped open the box to reveal the small ruby ring.

"It's not an engagement ring." This was exactly the reaction Montel _didn't_ want. Brie was freaked out and he could tell. "It's me letting you know that I care about you...I'm not proposing but I wanna be with you for a long time and this is just me showing you that."

Brie looked up from the glittering ring to stare into her boyfriend's eyes. He really cared about her, didn't he?

"Well...?"

"Well... Red _is_ my favourite colours." She took the ring out of the box and placed it on her finger before walking round to kiss Montel tenderly on the lips. "I really love you. You know that, right?"

"Not as much as I love you."

"I'm not sure that's possible, Mr Porter."

* * *

Jack knew what he was doing was wrong, but in all honesty, he'd stopped caring. The pretty blonde grinding up against him on the dance floor...was she called Tracey? Stacey? Casey? Like he said, he'd stopped caring.

Mike certainly had the right idea in mind when it came to a night out. Getting over Tiffany and getting out of his funk was simply solved by paying a visit to one of the local clubs. Beautiful young women by the bucket swarmed him and Miz the minute they entered and all it took was a couple of white lies to get them eating out of the palm of their hands – so what if they technically _weren't_ college students from Michigan who were on the last night of their trip to Miami? It was just a small detail.

In the back of Jack's mind and in the pit of his stomach, he knew this wasn't what he wanted.

What he really wanted was Tiffany. He wanted to run his fingers through her blonde waves and use them to pull her face towards his so their lips met. Those covered-up curves...he wanted to free them from those clothes and hold her body close to his. He wanted to listen to her talk for hours about whatever the hell it was she normally spoke about but he didn't really pay attention to. If she was his, he'd listen.

But instead, for tonight, he'd have to put up with the girl who's name ended in '-asey'.

Jack glanced over at Mike, who had another leggy blonde pressed up against the wall, their lips fighting and tongues dancing. The blonde, Jack observed, was eerily similar to Maryse so he turned away, back to his own girl.

"I'm gonna go to the bathroom," His girl yelled over the music. "When I get back, maybe we should get out of here?" A seductive smile crossed her glossy pink lips.

Now that was not an offer Jack was going to pass up. "Sounds good to me," He smiled, before watching the blonde saunter away to the restroom, her killer ass looking even more sensational than before.

He hated it when she went. It meant he had to think about Tiffany instead.

Deciding to let Mike know he was about to leave, he approached his sexually active friend and cautiously pulled him away from the now angry Maryse doppelganger. "Excuse me, we're in the middle of-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'll only be a minute." Jack dragged Mike over to the bar, much to the blonde's dismay. "I was just gonna tell you that me and that blonde I was with are gonna go in a minute-"

"Lacey?"

"That's her name!" Jack confirmed, feeling a wave of relief that he wouldn't have to awkwardly ask her name. "Yeah, we're heading off in a sec. What about you and that chick, who by the way, looks creepily like Maryse?"

"What?" Mike laughed a little too loudly. "She doesn't look like Maryse. The only thing they have in common is-"

"-the same hair, the same face, the same body, the same posture, the same love of short dresses...I could go on. But yeah, you're right, Miz, they're _completely_ different people."

"Whatever," The dark haired guy shook his head. "Anyway, me and her are gonna go soon too. Maybe we'll-" There was a faraway look on Jack's face, which caused Mike to stop talking. "What?"

"Correct me if I'm wrong," Jack began, signalling over to the other side of the bar, "But is that or is that not Tiffany's boyfriend Drew and Maryse's boyfriend Wade?"

Mike craned his neck to follow Jack's gaze. "Where?"

"Those two guys making out with girls that aren't Tiffany and Maryse?"

"Gotcha."

* * *

Unless you're Brie and Montel, it doesn't look like there's much happiness going around!

Let me take this chance to say Merry Christmas to all my beautiful readers. I hope your holidays are fantastic and I wish you all the best for the New Year :)

Please leave a **review** :)


	13. Cheaters

Thank you for all the reviews so far.  
2011 is here, and so is chapter 13 :)

* * *

**CHEATERS**

**

* * *

**

Kelly hadn't had a good night's sleep.

The blonde had been tossing and turning, unable to get comfortable and unable to clear Kofi from her head. Her boyfriend hadn't come back after their fight and she was worried, to say the least. They didn't know Miami, he could've been anywhere with anyone.

If only she could've _not_ hidden the letter. Not that she was hiding it at all, she was going to give it to him. If only there was some way of letting him understand that she didn't intend to keep things from him. He was her boyfriend; she told him everything and he knew that. Well, obviously he didn't.

But he completely overreacted and that hurt her the most. She apologized and he was just being plain stubborn. None of this would've escalated if he hadn't stormed off. Kofi needed to realise that it took two people to start a fight and he wasn't innocent in all this.

Glancing over her clock, which read 5:20am, Kelly knew she wouldn't be getting anymore sleep despite the fact it was still dark outside. She swung her legs out of the bed and put on the summer dress she wore the previous day with a thin sweater over the top, as the morning was surprisingly bitter. She made her way down the stairs and into the main area, where she was shocked to see her boyfriend asleep on the living room couch.

Cautiously, she approached him and lightly prodded at his shoulder, "Kofi." When he opened his eyes to look at her, she smiled. "You could've come up to bed."

"I wasn't ready to see you," He said slightly blearily, as he got to his feet and walked into the kitchen, pouring himself a glass of orange juice. "Is it too early for breakfast?"

"Maybe." She smiled, sitting on one of the bar stools. "Are you still mad at me?"

"That depends." He commented, drinking his own juice and, Kelly observed, not offering her one. "Are you going to apologize?"

"I've done nothing _but_ apologize. Your phone is filled with messages of me saying sorry, I can't say it anymore." Kelly paused, feeling her hands getting cold and stuffing them into the sleeves of her sweater. "Maybe you should apologize."

"I have nothing to apologize for."

"It takes two people to start a fight." She said wisely, stealing the juice out of his hand and sipping from it. "If you just accepted my apology in the first place, we wouldn't be going through all these problems."

"I wasn't ready to accept your apology-"

"Well, maybe your highness should come and talk to me when he is." Unable to believe Kofi was acting this way, Kelly stormed out of the kitchen. She went into the cloakroom of the house and grabbed the nearest coat – possibly Eve's – and a pair of ankle boots – definitely Maryse's – before leaving the house.

* * *

With his hand hovering in front of Tiffany's door, Jack felt his palms clamming up. He had to tell Tiffany what he'd seen at the club; she was falling for Drew and she had a right to know that he wasn't being faithful to her.

But Jack knew that it would crush Tiffany. Like he said, she was falling for Drew and if she found out the truth...it would break her heart. The first guy she ever allowed herself to fall in love with was a complete jackass. And how could he be the one to break it to her? Maybe he should've let one of the girls know and let them break the news gently. Girls can make it easier with ice cream and chick flicks and stuff-

"Jack," Tiffany's door opened and the blonde herself came out. It was only the morning so the blonde wore a pair of stripy PJ bottoms and a pink tank top, with her hair scraped over her shoulder in a braid. "I thought I heard someone outside. What's up?" She held open the bedroom door, allowing him to come inside.

The bedroom was a small single. As she didn't have anyone to share with, Tiffany offered to take the room and she made it her own. Framed photos of her siblings and family members were dotted around and bits of clothing were draped over various surfaces, whilst a small radio on the windowsill quietly played her music.

"It's...I didn't realise it was so small."

"The smaller it is, the tidier I can keep it." It was very clean, Jack noticed, cleaner than most of the rooms in the house. "I like it. My room at home is kinda small so it reminds me of being there." She sat down on her bed cross-legged, glancing around the small room before fixing her gaze on Jack. "So, what's going on?"

"Well, I was...I saw..." Jack cursed himself as he sat down on one of the chairs. The captain of the basketball team was tripping over his words. He'd never tripped over a girl; with Maryse and Eve, he was so calm and in control. "What're you doing today?"

Tiffany's eyebrow twitched as she watched him, before she said, "Drew's taking me out to lunch and then we're going to the aquarium. I was telling him how much I loved sea animals and he decided that I needed to see the-"

"I was out at the clubs last night with Miz." Jack couldn't handle hearing her talk about Drew anymore. "We saw Drew and Wade hanging out with a bunch of girls. I know that's probably the last thing you want to hear but-"

"Wait, I'm confused. Are you telling me that Drew's cheating on me?"

"I'm sorry, Tiff."

"I just...Drew said he was going out with his family last night." Tiffany's back went rigid as she sat up straight, her face blank. "Maybe it wasn't Drew that you saw, maybe it was someone else."

Jack couldn't believe she was so reluctant to believe him. Why would he lie about this kind of thing? "I'm pretty sure it was him."

"'Pretty sure' doesn't exactly sound convincing." Standing up, Tiffany grabbed her towel off of the radiator and slung it round her neck, before grabbing her phone as well. "I appreciate your concern, Jack, but Drew and I are fine. I'm going for a shower. You can show yourself out, right?"

She walked down the hall towards the bathroom and once inside, she stripped off her pyjamas and started running the hot water in the shower. Just as she was about to climb in, her phone, which sat on the lid of the toilet, started to vibrate, signalling she had a message.

_Sorry, can't make it today. Family stuff came up again. I'll call you. Drew X_

* * *

Lying across her bed, only sitting up to spoon some strawberry ice cream out of the container, Mickie allowed herself to grin. With her parents out for the night, she, Maria and Melina had had a sleepover and the party only continued into the next morning. Maria had to leave early but upon waking up, the remaining two demolished a bottle of Mr James' vodka and were making a start on food.

"Penn Badgley, Ed Westwick or Chase Crawford?" Melina pointed in the direction of the TV where CW were doing Gossip Girl reruns.

"Matt Lanter."

"He's not in Gossip Girl."

Mickie sat up lazily and squinted, unaware the TV was even on. "Oh yeah," She smiled. "Umm...Penn's gorgeous. And smart too. Definitely Penn. Westwick may have a British accent but when he's not wearing the Chuck Bass suits, he's a little grimy."

"How can you not mention Chase Crawford? He looks like an Abercrombie & Fitch boy." Melina gave a delicious shudder as Nate Archibald came on screen. "If he were real, I'd be transferring from NYU to Columbia in a heartbeat!"

"Well, in a couple of weeks, we'll be at college – you in New York, me in California – and we'll have college guys falling at our feet." Mickie signalled at her pedicured toes. "Damn, I'm _so_ excited about UCLA!"

"It seems like things aren't too bad for you in Miami either. What's going on with you and...?"

"Ted." She finished. "He's hot, isn't he?"

"Totally! Have you guys hooked up yet?"

"I wish. He's got a girlfriend and I can't move in too quickly."

Melina lowered the volume on the TV. "He has a girlfriend?"

"I know, I was shocked too." Mickie giggled, another spoon of ice-cream entering her mouth. "It's not the worst thing in the world, though. She's barely ever around and to be honest, I see more of him than she does. They're not going to last the summer."

"So you're going to pounce?" Melina's eyes flickered with mischief.

"He has a girlfriend," The brunette paused for thought, her face serious but it broke into a smile. "That hasn't stopped me before."

* * *

"You look gorgeous," Brie told Maryse, as the twin sat on the French-Canadian blonde's bed, watching her get ready for her night out with Wade.

Stood in front of the mirror, admiring her own reflection, Maryse couldn't help but agree. Her short grey dress – well, Rosa's short grey dress – was snugly fitted but it only showed off her curves to perfection. A pair of silver sling backs completed the clothing side of things but lightly coiffed hair and a purple clutch for a pop of colour completed the look.

"I know," Maryse smiled, doing a quick twirl for her own benefit. "We're going out for drinks so I wanted to look...sophisticated. And Wade's British, so he must like a sophisticated girl."

"Well, no-one I know is more sophisticated and demure than you."

"So what're you and Montel doing tonight?" The blonde asked, applying a final coat of lipgloss.

"Oh, he's going out to the club with some of the others." She replied breezily.

"And you're not going?"

Brie shook her head. "Not tonight. I've been feeling kinda queasy today. I think I need some sofa time and an early night. Besides, Nikki offered to stay home with me so I won't be alone."

"Aw babe." Maryse sympathetically patted her friend on the arm. "Well I hope you feel better." She instinctively glanced up at the clock on the wall. "Shit, is it really that time already? I've got to go, I'm supposed to be meeting Wade in twenty minutes and I'm getting a cab-"

"Hey Maryse?" There was a knock at the door and Mike and Jack came in. "There's a cab outside and the driver said-"

"I know, it's for me. I have to go!" The blonde exclaimed, piling her lipgloss, cell phone and wallet into the clutch.

"Actually, Ryse?" Mike stopped his friend by gently placing his hand over her arm, feeling the hairs prick up against the soft of her skin. "I need to talk to you before you go. It's about Wade-"

"Yeah, I'm going to meet him."

"That's what it's about-"

"Miz, I really don't have time for this!" She pressed a hand against his shoulder and sighed. Instantly, she felt guilty for raising her voice at him. "Like I said, I'm going to be late. Talk to me tomorrow."

Knowing he was defeated, Mike leaned back against the wall and watched as Maryse trotted down the stairs and out the door towards the cab. He listened to the sound of the car drawing away; the sound of Maryse heading towards Wade. It broke his heart a little more every time.

"What was so urgent you couldn't wait until tomorrow to tell her?" Brie laughed softly, lifting her feet off the bed and leaving the room, her feet barely making any noise against the staircase.

Once they're sure she's completely out of earshot, Mike turned to Jack. "Did you say anything to Tiffany?"

Jack nodded. "She didn't believe me. Drew gave her a load of bull about spending the night with his family so she thinks I saw the wrong guy."

"It's like...she really doesn't want to believe that it's Drew."

"She doesn't; she's fallen for him."

* * *

"Is she still staring?"

Looking over at the bar where the 'hottie' was sat, Rosa answered Dolph's question with a nod. Yes, the curvaceous female that had been staring at Dolph since his arrival was still staring at him, her eyes like mascara-d saucers.

"What do I do?" Dolph asked, scarcely letting his eyes flit over to her from their booth.

"Um, hello? Remember Nikki? That hot girl you're seeing?" Rosa nudged him.

"Um, hello? They're not exclusive." Zack piped up from the other side of Dolph, like the devil on his left shoulder. "Bro, you have the right to see whoever you want."

"But you know Nikki's not seeing anyone else? You might not think things are exclusive but maybe she does!"

"You've given her no reason to think you're exclusive!" Zack and Rosa had a counter for whatever the other said, leaving Dolph's head spinning.

He had no idea how to deal with the bombshell at the bar. Sure, in his head, he could see Nikki; her slim figure and silky soft hair. But then he found himself drawn to the girl at the bar; _that_ body in _that_ tight dress. At that point, he was thinking with the friend in his trousers.

"So?" Rosa patted Dolph's knee. "What's it gonna be?"

"Excuse me," The barmaid put a beer down in front of Dolph and signalled over to the topic of conversation. "This is from the girl at the bar. She's called Kaitlyn."

Dolph looked back at Kaitlyn who gave him a small salute and a grin. "Okay, I have to go talk to her." He decided. Getting to his feet, he walked towards her, watching as she nudged her friend, who rolled her eyes and disappeared. "Hi... Kaitlyn, was it?"

"Ah, you got my message." She laughed, signalling at the now-empty seat next to her. "The second you walked in, I thought you were really cute but I freaked out because my friend said that you might have a girlfriend."

"Well," Dolph swallowed, "I guess I haven't."

* * *

The small dive bar in a corner of Miami Kelly didn't even know existed seemed like a logical place to go. No-one she knew would be there and she could just...forget about the world.

She was past the point of being upset with Kofi; she was mad. All she had done was apologize for feeling the way she did. She had to apologize to Kofi for her own insecurities and it wasn't right. They were a couple and he was supposed to love her. Obviously he didn't if he could hurt her so badly.

"Vodka." Sitting down on one of the stools, Kelly threw some money down on the bar.

"Vodka and...?"

"Ice." She shot the barman a charming smile before resting her head against the palm of her hand, only glancing up to drain the alcohol from her glass.

All these fights were so draining. Her energy was lower than ever. She was tired of arguing with Kofi. There were so many times where she'd tell him she loved him and he was the most important person in the world to her...for what?

"Kelly?" A couple of vodkas later, the blonde turned her head and saw that on the barstool next to her was Randy, a look of concern on his face for her. He looked handsome, in some dark jeans, a grey t-shirt and a black leather jacket.

"What're you doing here?" Her voice sounded lower and huskier than usual, as she looked at him from underneath her eyelashes.

"Free country, isn't it?" A smile crept onto his face. "It's quiet here...I like that."

"That's kinda why I'm here...didn't really want anyone to find me."

"Wanna talk about it?"

"Not really. My boyfriend's acting like a total jackass because..." Her voice trailed away and she looked into Randy's blue eyes. Wow, they were nice. "Do you ever worry about the future? When things are so good in the present, it's only natural to want things to stay static. Kofi doesn't get it though...college doesn't faze him; he just...deals with it."

"That's why we can't live our lives thinking ahead. You've gotta be in it for the moment." Randy decided. "It's about living for right now...no repercussions."

"You can't live that way. Things come back to haunt you."

Randy laughed, drinking his beer. "I guess you're not one of those 'No regrets' people?"

"I'm a natural worrier." Kelly admitted, beginning to feel her own vodka swimming to her head. "Oww, my head is pounding. I'm gonna have a bitch of a hangover tomorrow."

"Yeah, I'm feeling a little lightheaded myself. Listen, I live just down the road. If you want to get away from your house for the night, you can crash there. I'll take the sofa, you can have my room."

Kelly flinched. "I dunno if that's such a good idea-"

"No funny business." Randy held up his hands. "I'm just doing you a favour."

Watching him for a moment and seeing he didn't blink once, Kelly shakily got to her feet and slipped on her coat (well, Eve's coat). "Okay. Let's go."

The pair left the bar together, walking side-by-side, their shoulders occasionally brushing as they stepped. They talked, so deep in conversation, in fact, that they didn't even see Eve Torres on the other side of the street, leaving her evening writing class. As soon as the Latina latched her eyes onto the pair, she was stunned.

"What the hell is Kelly doing?" She whispered, taking a detour from her route home by following Randy and Kelly down the road.

On the other side of the street, a couple of blocks later, the pair reached Randy's house. They stood on the front porch for a moment, as Randy dug into his pocket to try and find the keys.

Under the well-lit light of the porch, Kelly could properly look at him; his intense features, his blue eyes that were dark and haunting yet so very beautiful, his lean, muscular frame; she may have been light-headed but she was thinking more clearly than ever.

"Randy?" She whispered.

When he turned his head to look at her, she managed to cup his face in her hands and pull him towards her, their lips meeting. Randy moved his hands onto her waist whilst Kelly's hands rested at the back of his neck, bringing him even closer to her.

"It's called being in it for the moment." She moved back, slightly breathless but a smile on her lips. "Living for right now...no repercussions."

With no more words, Randy unlocked the door and the pair slipped inside, leaving Eve stood at the bottom of the driveway, realising her best friend had made the biggest mistake of her life.

* * *

:O  
Yes, the title 'Cheaters' was certainly an indication of what was to come in this chapter! Haha.  
Hope you enjoyed and please leave a **review** :)


	14. Everything To Lose

Thank you to everyone who's reviewed so far :) Here's chapter 14...

* * *

**EVERYTHING TO LOSE**

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* * *

**

The previous night hit Kelly like a ton of bricks when she woke up and it wasn't completely down to the hangover. Sure, the alcohol had taken its toll on her but the guilty feeling of knowing she'd cheated on Kofi was worse than if she'd consumed a whole brewery.

Careful not to shake the bed, she sat upright and scarcely opened her eyes. To her left lay a sleeping Randy, one of his arms across her waist and his chest rising and falling with each breath. A quiet sigh drifted from her lips, guilt pouring out from every inch of her body.

She got out of bed and gathered her clothes up off the floor; her bra and underwear, the flimsy summer dress, thin sweater, Maryse's ankle boots and Eve's coat. She got dressed and looked over at last night's man once more, but unable to deal with what had happened, she snuck down the stairs and out the door without him so much as turning over.

As she walked back to her house, she couldn't help but wonder how she could've been so stupid.

No matter how much they fought, Kofi was her boyfriend and she loved him with all her heart. She was drunk – really drunk – and definitely wasn't thinking properly. When she thought back on what a huge mistake it was, she felt awful but on the other hand, she knew Kofi could never find out what happened.

In essence, what happened was a big mistake and she saw it entirely pointless to tell him as it would just cause more problems than necessary. Obviously being dishonest wasn't the best way to go about things but she couldn't see any other way to handle it.

Once she reached the beach house, Kelly made sure she was extra quiet as she entered, as it was still early in the morning. She tiptoed into the kitchen where she was shocked to see Eve sat at the table, drinking a cup of coffee and scribbling into a notepad.

"Good morning," Eve smiled sweetly at her friend, finishing up her coffee and putting the cup in the dishwasher. "Nice coat."

"Oh, sorry about that. I just took the first coat which happened to be yours." Kelly slipped out of the coat and handed it to her friend.

"Where did you get to last night? Kofi said you guys got into a fight."

"Yeah, I ended up crashing at someone else's house." She said quickly, pouring herself some coffee from Eve's pot.

"Really?" The brunette's eyebrow twitched up. "Who?"

"Just some girl I met at one of the clubs the other night." Kelly shrugged innocently, not wanting Eve to be suspicious. "Is Kofi upstairs? I want us to make up."

"Yeah, I think he's still in bed."

The blonde went up the stairs to the room she and her boyfriend shared and quietly opened the door to see her boyfriend dozing in bed. When he saw Kelly, his eyes fully opened and he sat upright. "Hey you."

Not wanting to do anymore talking, she pulled off her shoes and tossed them aside, before climbing into bed next to Kofi, her head nestling against his chest. "Is there any chance we can just forget these past two days ever happened? We both said stuff we didn't mean and I just want to move on."

Kofi held her close, kissing the top of her head. "Seriously?" She nodded in response. "That's all I want."

* * *

"Brie, how're you feeling?" Nikki tapped on the bathroom door, where the sound of her twin sister's retching was audible from the outside.

"Like shit." She appeared at the door, her face paler than Nikki had ever seen it. Brie's hair was scraped into a messy braid and there was a tiny bit of sick on her sleeve where she hadn't made it to the bathroom in time. She'd crashed in Nikki's room for the night, only waking her sister when she had to leap out of bed and sprint to the toilet to throw up.

"You don't look too good either." Both girls sat with their backs against the bathtub. "Do you think you've got a fever or something?"

"Maybe." Brie held her stomach and tipped her head back. "Sorry you couldn't go out last night...I probably ruined your evening."

"It's okay. I've partied so much since I got to Miami, it was nice to be able to spend a night in my PJs watching chick flicks on the couch." Nikki grinned, nudging her sister to show no hard feelings.

"What happened to Dolph last night? Normally you guys crash together and I stole his spot in the bed."

"I literally came straight to the bathroom as soon as I woke up so I haven't seen him. He probably bunked on the couch downstairs." She rested a hand on her sister's pale forehead and frowned. "Damn, you're pale. D'you think you're gonna puke again?"

"Maybe." She shrugged. "I'm gonna stay in here for a little while, that's for sure."

"Did you want me to get you anything? Some water? An aspirin?"

"Both please."

Nikki gave her sister a quick kiss on her head before getting to her feet and heading to the bathroom door. Just as she was about to leave, one passing joke that the ability to turn Brie's blood cold, "Hey, maybe you're pregnant!"

* * *

Collapsing at Wade's side in a breathless heap, the smile on Maryse's face was both wide and lazy. "God bless the Queen." She propped herself up on one elbow, resting a hand against his chest. "Isn't that what they say?"

"Actually, it's God save the Queen, but it's not important." Wade laughed. "They say once you go British, you never go back."

"So from now on, I'm gonna have a fetish for British guys?"

"Well, why don't you call me in ten years and we'll find out?"

Maryse found herself smiling as Wade climbed out of bed and walked into the bathroom. She loved spending nights in his hotel room – it was weird at first as she knew Drew and Wade shared but the more time she and Wade spent together, she just assumed Drew must've got another room.

To say she and her British companion got along well was an understatement. Things with them were easy and he was exactly what she was looking for in a summer fling.

"Hey!" At the sound of Wade's cell phone ringing, Maryse knocked on the door of the bathroom, calling over the sound of running water. "Your phone is ringing."

He stuck his head out the door. "Can you pick it up for me? I'm about to get in the shower."

"Maybe I'll have to join you in there," She winked cheekily before answering the phone, "Hello?"

"_Hello?" _The sound of a confused female at the other end caught Maryse off-guard. _"I thought I was calling Wade's phone? I must have the wrong number-"_

"No, this is Wade's phone but he's busy right now. Can I take a message?"

"_Tell him it's Melina from David Otunga's party the other night. I'm sorry I didn't call him sooner but I've had a lot on. I'd love to meet up with him though. Say that..." _The girl clearly wasn't expecting Maryse to take a message and seemed stumped on what to say. _"Just tell him to call me back soon? I think he has my number...I'll text it to him, just to be safe." _

Instead of responding, the French-Canadian stunner hung up. She slid on her underwear and one of Wade's shirts, before sitting down on the edge of the bed, unsure of how to feel.

They weren't serious – they both knew it was nothing more than a fling – but knowing that she wasn't enough for Wade left her feeling bitter. Rejection ran through her, leaving her cold. It was like junior year all over again; back then Jack ended their relationship because he liked Eve and now Wade was seeing other people? She assumed Melina wasn't the only girl and it was a crushing blow.

And couldn't he have at least told her? Maybe if he'd have said he was giving his number to other girls, it wouldn't have hurt Maryse so bad. She found herself musing over this until Wade got out of the shower and sat down next to her on the bed, placing kisses down her neck. When she sat with a frown on her face, he said into her no-longer perfumed skin. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She said quietly, standing up and leaving Wade sat in his towel. "Oh, by the way? Melina called. She said she was sorry she didn't call you sooner but she's had a lot on. She'd love to meet up with you though and she's going to text you her number." Right on cue, Wade's phone started to vibrate. "That's probably her."

Looking at Maryse with an arched eyebrow, Wade smirked slightly. "And you're pissed off about it?"

"What? No I never said I was pissed off."

"Well, the room just dropped to minus degrees, suggesting you're not too pleased." He stood up and rested his hands on her shoulders. "Maryse, I'm going back to England soon and you're going back to California – we knew it wasn't forever and we never said we were exclusive-"

"I knew that!" She argued despite the fact she was now pulling on her clothes.

"Have you been seeing other people?"

"Yeah. I mean, well...not exactly."

Guilt filled Wade's face as he muttered, "Oh God, you thought this was serious?"

"I haven't been seeing anyone else. Not because I don't want to, I just haven't seen anyone I want to see..." She winced at her own words before looking him in the eyes. "Wade, we need to talk."

**

* * *

**

As Eve sat in the lobby of the Miami Herald newspaper offices, she knew she should've been more excited about her internship but inevitably, her mind was on what she'd seen the previous night; Kelly and Randy kissing. Kelly and Randy going into Randy's house together. Kelly making a huge mistake.

She was aware that Kelly and Kofi were arguing but to cheat on her brother? Kelly may have been Eve's best friend but she had to put family first and side with Kofi as there was no excuse for her infidelity.

Should she tell Kofi what she saw? It was unlikely Kelly intended on telling him what happened and she didn't want Kofi to be in the dark...no, it wasn't her fight to get involved in. All she could do was let them work it out for themselves and be there to support whoever needed her. Maybe after work she could talk to Kelly about it-

"Lea?" Looking up, she saw Andrew coming through the entrance with a stack of files in his hands.

"Do you need a hand?" She laughed and came to her father's aid, easing a couple of papers out of his grasp. "There."

"Thanks, big help." He continued to talk at her as they walked through the Miami Herald offices. Going in with no expectations, Eve found herself looking around at muted rooms, filled with computer-ed cubicles and noisy machines. "It's loud in here, isn't it?"

"A little."

"Okay, you'll be sat here. This is Maria, one of our other interns. The two of you will be going out with one of our reporters later today so just wait here until Christopher arrives."

Eve sat down at a chair in the cubicle, looking across as Maria, a slim redhead with one of the prettiest faces she'd ever seen, who was texting on her Blackberry. "Hey, I'm Lea."

"Maria." She beamed, giving her a small wave and putting down her sidekick. "Are you from Miami? I don't recognise you."

"No, I'm only here for a few weeks. I live in Los Angeles."

"Oh my God, California!" Maria squealed excitedly. "Sorry, but I love California. I'm going to UCLA next month for college and I'm super stoked. One of my best friends is going too but the other one is going to NYU, which kinda sucks. I guess you're going to college in September?"

"Actually, I've just finished junior year." Eve looked over at Maria's desk, one framed photo catching her attention. "That guy looks familiar. Who is he?"

"This guy?" She picked up the frame. "John Cena. He's one of my best friends and he's going to college in Massachusetts. I'll miss him, he's awesome. How'd you know him?"

The light bulb went off in Eve's head. "My car broke down and he and his friend helped me out." Pausing, she winced. "I suppose you know Randy too then?"

"Oh I know Randy Orton." Maria said with a knowing glint in her eye. "Why? Have you two...?"

Eve scoffed.

"You're right, Randy doesn't do girlfriends. So have you got a boyfriend?"

Eve took her cell phone out of her bag and proudly showed off her wallpaper to Maria, a photo of the two of them at Alicia Fox's birthday party back in June. "Yeah, he's called Ted. We've been together for about five months."

Now it was Maria's turn to have a light bulb moment. That was...Ted? The guy Mickie was going after? It sure looked like him. Now Maria didn't claim to be an angel – after all, she'd had her share of conquests – but going after a guy that was already taken? _That_ she didn't approve of. She hoped that maybe Ted hadn't told Mickie that he had a girlfriend and Mickie's flirtation was seemingly innocent.

Something told her, however, that that wasn't the case.

* * *

"Come on, that guy was totally intimidated by me!" Mickie and Ted took a window table at the beachside cafe Shack Hut – having spent so much time there, she told him it was called that because the owners couldn't decide whether to call it The Shack or The Hut so they decided to just combine the two. "I was absolutely destroying him out there and that's why he swooped in and stole my wave!"

"I'll take your word for it." Ted stole a French fry off her plate and she smacked his hand away. "Hey!"

"I can't steal your burger so what makes you think you can steal my fries?" She laughed, gazing straight past Ted out the window to the ocean. Well, maybe she was staring at Ted out of the corner of her eye but that couldn't be helped. He looked really cute today; Mickie had been teaching him to surf so his hair was all wet and his skin sundrenched and damp. It was a good day when he left his shirt off.

"I've gotta tell you, Micks. You're probably the best female surfer I've ever seen. You ever considered going pro?"

"Not really." She admitted. "My parents are total business suits. I don't think they'd deem me being a surfer as much more than a hobby – hence why I'm studying business and economics at UCLA. My brother Matt loves surfing though. When we lived in Virginia, he and his friends would cross state lines just to find places to go surfing, totally rebelling against my parents. Matt never really wanted to do the whole corporate thing – he's an athlete at heart. He's twenty six now and is a surfing instructor in Hawaii with his fiancée. She's this Hawaiian woman called Larissa and I've never met her but she sounds amazing."

"That must be the coolest, most chilled out life ever." He commented wistfully. "Teaching surfing in Hawaii with your Hawaiian girlfriend. Awesome."

Unintentionally at that moment, images flashed through Mickie's head. She'd happily take Ted to Hawaii. The two of them could go visit Matt and Larissa – she had never visited Matt in Hawaii and could see Ted and Matt getting along so well – and they could have so much fun; surfing during the day, spending nights hanging out in local bars with laid back people...maybe kissing on the sand...

"What're you doing this weekend?"

"No major plans, why?"

"My cousin's getting married here in Miami and on my mom's side of the family, they're all corporate jerks." She explained. "My brother might not be able to make it back from Hawaii so I could really use a friendly face at the party."

Ted opened his mouth to talk but Mickie stopped him, knowing what he was going to say.

"I'm not asking you on a date." Her voice softened. "You have a girlfriend and I understand that. Melina's doing family stuff this weekend and Maria's working so I'm asking you as a friend because...well since you've been here, you've been really awesome."

With a cheeky smile, Ted took a fry off her plate. "I'd love to come."

* * *

Stood in the middle of Rosa and Alicia as the trio entered the Quirk Club, Tiffany was ready to party the night away – as clichéd as that sounded.

Tonight, she felt confident and sexy. Living with so many other girls meant her wardrobe had got a lot bigger, as she strutted out in Rosa's short black babydoll, cinched in at the waist with Alicia's gold belt. The three beautiful girls made their way through the buzzing club, their hands gripped tightly together and pretending to ignore the looks the guys gave them, as they approached the bar and ordered some drinks.

"I'm already on the lookout for hot guys," Rosa's eyes flicked around the crowded dance floor whilst she sipped on her vodka and cranberry.

"Zack's not exactly on your mind then?"

"Please, Alicia. I love my precious Zacky." Oddly enough, there was nothing remotely sarcastic about the Latina's tone. "Tiff has Drew, I have Zack and so we're on the lookout for you. Now do you see that guy in the red t-shirt? He's cute."

"Too skinny. I like a guy with a bit more muscle." Alicia called over the infectious beats of 30H!3.

The conversation continued like this for pretty much the rest of the evening, as the girls ended up taking a seat in a nearby booth with a group of guys, with Rosa secretly hoping one of them would take an interest in Alicia. Throughout, Tiffany couldn't help but wonder how she'd got into this.

Half a year ago, these girls didn't have a clue who she was. No-one really did at Beverly Hills High and if they did, she was the girl that was pretty but smart and sensible. Back in January on New Years, whilst the cheerleaders and basketball players were out partying and hitting LA's hottest clubs, she was at home with her parents. Now, these people were her best friends. Here she was, on holiday with them in Miami, hanging out with complete strangers in bars and having an amazing time. It was crazy how life worked.

"I'm just gonna go to the restroom." The blonde stepped out of the booth and headed to the bathroom. On the way, she weaved her way through a small, dark corridor. A couple were making out against the wall, going at it like animals; his hands in her dark curly hair and her arms around him. Tiffany simply shook her head with a small smile and carried on to the bathroom.

It was only on her way out, however, that she properly got the chance to look at the couple. The female was a complete stranger but seeing who the male was broke her heart.

"Drew?" His name left her lips a couple of times before he heard, as she was battling with the thumping music. The Scot turned to look at her and when he saw it was Tiffany, his face dropped.

No-one said anything for a moment. The girl Drew had been kissing stayed with her back against the wall, confused at what was going on as she wiped at her lips, smudged with gloss. Tiffany didn't know what to do, she was motionless. It was Drew that stepped forward and said to Tiffany, "Let's go somewhere and talk about this-"

"Why would I want to go _anywhere_ with you?"

She could feel her heart beating faster and her face flushing, so she turned on Drew and began to walk out of the club. She could hear him running behind her calling her name but she chose to ignore him, walking as fast as her gold heels would carry her because running wasn't really an option. At one point, she thought she heard Alicia and Rosa behind her but she couldn't stop.

"Tiffany, just talk to me!" The blonde was about to slip into a cab when she felt Drew hold onto her upper arm, his face serious. He touched her face tenderly and for a second, she wanted to melt into his touch. "Let me explain-"

"No." Her face stayed stony as she pushed his hand aside. "Your actions did all the talking so I don't think there's much left for you to say. Just let me go, Drew. Let me go." As she said those words, she felt her eyes brimming with tears. Pulling herself away from him, she got into the cab and slammed the door, directing the driver to the beach house.

The whole ride home, Tiffany did her best not to sob. How could he do this to her? How could someone that seemed so perfect break her heart? Everything was going so well, of course he had to ruin it. It couldn't go this well without something going wrong. Seeing him with that girl was crushing; with Tiffany, he'd always been so tender and wonderful and yet with her, he was so...disgusting.

She'd convinced herself Drew was this amazing guy and when Jack told her he saw Drew with another girl, she was so adamant not to believe him. But he was telling the truth; Drew was a liar and a scumbag. She wanted to be furious with him but she couldn't muster it – all she felt was disappointment for ever resting any hope in him.

Upon arriving home, she paid the driver and went into the house. She walked straight past Kelly and Kofi who were cuddled up on the couch and walked upstairs, tapping on one of the bedroom doors.

"Tiff?" Jack pulled open the door, shirtless wearing the sweats he slept in. He instantly knew something was wrong, as the blonde female's bottom lip began to wobble and her eyes watered.

Suddenly, it clicked in his head what had happened and he pulled Tiffany into his arms, allowing her to cry on his shoulder and hold him close because right then and there, she needed someone who understood.

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Aha, I swear each update I'm trying to fit more and more into every chapter :)  
Hope you enjoyed and please leave a **review**! Xx


	15. Open Your Eyes

Thank you for all the reviews :) Here's chapter 15.

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**OPEN YOUR EYES**

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Re-entering his bedroom, Jack saw that Tiffany hadn't moved from the position he'd left her in the previous night, despite the fact in the time he'd been awake, he'd already been for a run, had breakfast and taken a shower. He didn't mind too much though, she looked really cute when she slept, curled up in a ball with her arms hugging the duvet cover.

He was secretly proud of what a gentleman he had been. The pretty blonde had come to his room in tears and spent the night talking about how Drew had broke her heart – not that it was easy to hear what she was saying under all that sobbing. But in some ways, it was nice. He got to hold her, stroke her hair and tell her everything was going to be okay. Eventually, Tiffany closed her eyes for the briefest moment and ended up falling asleep. She hugged him in her sleep but being more of a man than he ever had, he pulled the covers over her and went to sleep in her room.

Before, he was a different guy. The kind of guy that broke up with his girlfriend of two years for the new girl before betting others he could have sex with his new virgin girlfriend. The old Jack probably would've acted differently. Maybe he'd have got into bed next to her and even tried to grab a feel whilst she was out cold. But for some reason, since he'd met Tiffany, he'd changed.

Pulling the curtains across to let in the midday sun, Jack watched as Tiffany's eyes slowly opened and settled on Mr Swagger. For a moment, the happiest of smiles crossed her lips but almost a second later, it was as if she remembered last night and her face completely dropped.

"No, please don't cry again." Jack sat down on the bed next to her, wrapping her up in a half hug. "Surely you don't have any tears left after last night?"

Tiffany laughed, waving her hands in front of her face as if to push the tears back in. "No, I'm okay. I just feel...stupid."

"Please, you have no reason to feel stupid-"

"I know, I know." She nodded. "I can't help it though."

"We've all had our hearts broken." Jack admitted with a frown. "Sometimes in the most unlikely ways."

"Wow, you're deep, Swagger. What brought all this on?"

The truth was, whilst out running, Jack had a lot on his mind. He often did when he went running, as there was nothing else to focus on, other than where he was going. In the most masculine way possible, he wanted to get it off his chest. "Can I ask you a question?" Tiffany nodded. "I guess you know what happened between Eve and me last year and what I...did to her." She nodded again, her expression unchanging. "Well, why did you become friends with me?"

She laughed. She actually laughed aloud. "What're you talking about?"

"I don't wanna offend you, but chicks take things personally and I know most girls would probably freak out if they knew about me and Eve – Kelly still shoots me a dirty look if I say anything that could be classed as remotely offensive. And it's not like we were friends before so you probably only heard the bad stuff. So why?"

"Okay, I think what you did to Eve...that bet...I think it was pretty messed up. But you know, if it happened to Eve and _she_ can get over it, I don't see why I have to hold a grudge." She tucked her legs underneath her and looked Jack in the eyes. "Like you said, we didn't really know each other before this summer but...I mean, look at last night. I needed someone and you were there. That means a lot to me."

Reaching out, Jack tucked a lock of blonde hair, his hand grazing the warm soft skin of Tiffany's cheek. He could swear in that moment he saw her blush, as her gaze fell into her lap. In that moment, all he wanted was to tip up her chin and press his lips against hers, but he didn't.

"Are you hungry?" He quickly got to his feet. "You haven't eaten since yesterday and you're probably hungry-"

"Food sounds good." Tiffany got out of bed as well, still wearing her dress from the previous night. "I should probably shower and get dressed first."

She left the bedroom and scuttled across the hall to her own room. Her heart was beating so quickly she could practically see it moving under her shirt. What was wrong with her? She hadn't felt this way since the first time she met Drew.

* * *

"This place is so sick," Maria commented, as she and Eve entered the five star hotel that had just opened on South Beach.

One of the journalists at the Miami Herald was interviewing the owner so when the interview ended, the girls were allowed a little time to explore. Neither Maria nor Eve liked to name drop but a certain New York billionaire was opening and hotel and it was one of the most expensive hotels in the whole of Florida, with views overlooking the ocean, already said to be on many a celebrity's hotel wish list.

The two girls entered the hotel bar, ordered two diet cokes and sat down at a small table outside, looking down at the infinity pool. "I know, right? It's crazy that people can afford these places."

"...says the girl that lives in Beverly Hills." Maria joked, sipping her drink. "Not that some Miami aren't exactly rolling in cash."

"Oh yeah?"

"Totally. I mean, my family's pretty modest but some of my friends live like kings. My friend Melina – I mentioned her before, right? – Her dad works in the movies as a producer so she might as well split her time between here and LA. Then there's Mickie. Her parents are really important business people – but I don't think even she could tell you what they do – and she gets _everything_ because of it. Like, whatever she wants to buy, it's hers. It's a shame money can't buy love."

The name Mickie stuck in Eve's head, as she said, "What do you mean?"

"Neither her or her brother can stand them – her brother practically ran away to Hawaii – now all Mickie does is might with her mom and dad." The redhead continued. "They're kinda control freaks, always thinking about Mickie and Matt's futures. After high school, Matt was like 'Right, that's it, I'm outta here.' It sucks for Mickie especially; she feels totally alone right now."

As Maria continued to talk about Mickie's home life, she couldn't help but feel a little guilty, telling Lea so much. But this girl seemed nice...what could she possibly do that could be wrong?

"That must suck for her." Eve agreed once Maria stopped talking. "Is that...Mickie James?"

"Yeah, it is."

"I think she's friends with my boyfriend. Ted?"

"Oh my God, of course!" Maria feigned realisation. "Yeah, we met Ted one night. He was really cool." Both girls chatted by the infinity pool for the rest of the afternoon, not allowing the other to know they were hiding a lot more than they were letting on.

* * *

Since Maryse started seeing Wade, Mike had barely seen her.

Most of the time they'd be together – either out on the town or at his hotel – with Maryse only breezing into the beach house to change her clothes and quickly fill the other girls in on what had been going on with her and her English beau. Despite what they thought, wooden doors couldn't contain their giggles.

But Mike could sense that change was in the air. The previous night, Maryse had come in earlier than usual. She didn't stop to talk to Rosa and Nikki, who were waiting eagerly for the blonde's latest update, instead she went straight up to her bedroom, closed the door and hadn't come out since. Anyone that tried to enter would receive an "I'm sleeping!" heckle.

Something told Mike that Maryse had found out about Wade so the next morning, black coffee and croissant in hand, he dared to knock on her door. "Maryse? It's Mike." He didn't receive a response so decided to risk going inside.

The curtains were closed and the clothes she'd come home in were lying in a pile on the floor. He assumed the hump underneath the duvet was Maryse so he placed down the breakfast on the bedside table – despite it being mid afternoon – and tapped the hump.

"Wake up, Ryse."

A muffled groan was followed by the covers being tossed aside and Maryse emerging like a black negligee-wearing butterfly, coming out of its cocoon. Her hair was scraped into a messy ponytail and the skimpy nightie barely covered her long, golden limbs.

"You okay?"

"Mmm, fine." She took a bite of croissant and checked the messages on her cell, looking disheartened when she saw no new ones.

"What're you doing home?" Mike asked, receiving a blank look from the blonde. "You're barely around since you got together with Wade. In fact, this could be the first night you've slept in that bed."

"Well, you're probably going to be seeing a lot more of me if that's the case. Wade and I aren't seeing each other anymore."

"Really?" Mike did a pretty good job hiding his excitement at Maryse ditching the British asshole. "How come?"

Maryse shrugged. "Things end. It was only a summer thing so we both knew it would happen eventually."

He had no idea if she was being honest. Maybe she found out Wade was cheating and heartbroken, knew she had to end things. Or maybe Wade thought things were too serious between them and ended it. Either way, it was obvious to Mike that deep down, Maryse was hurt.

She finished off her croissant and drank half the black coffee before getting out of bed and opening the curtains. "I feel like window shopping. I'm gonna take a shower first though."

"Need any company?"

"Window shopping or in the shower?" Maryse smirked, briefly allowing herself to return to the carefree girl she'd been the previous day. "You can hold my bags."

* * *

"When you said your mom's side of the family was corporate, I was expecting a registry office party but this certainly exceeds that." Living in Beverly Hills, Ted thought he'd seen his fair share of expensive weddings but it was possible that this took the cake – six tiers with vanilla butter icing, if you're interested.

"You know how pretty much every rap song says 'my mind on my money, money on my mind'? Yeah, that pretty much sums up everyone here, bar us." Mickie commented dryly, looking around dismally and occasionally smiling at relatives that told her she looked lovely. "Speaking of bar, I'm thirsty."

After an intimate church ceremony, hundreds of the bride and groom's friends gathered at the Miami Four Seasons Grand Ballroom for one of the greatest meals Ted had ever eaten – scallops followed by Moroccan lamb and white chocolate and coconut mousse to finish – followed by dancing into the night. The bride wore white Vera Wang with a long train and a diamond the size of Sierra Leone on her finger, whilst the bridesmaids were decked out in lilac Zac Posen, Mickie being one of them. The tables were dotted with purple hydrangeas and it was clear that no expense had been spared.

In his whole life, Ted had never seen so many glamorous people. It shocked him, seeing as Mickie seemed so low-key.

The pair ordered some drinks and went to sit down at a nearby table, watching as the bride and groom glided across the dance floor for the first dance, as the Marie Digby cover of Umbrella played on the speakers. The whole wedding party fixed their eyes of the newly married couple, ooing and aahing at every move they made like they were children.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" An elderly woman came to sit at the table with Ted and Mickie, placing a kiss on the female's cheek. "Just a wonderful day."

"Hey grandma," Mickie smiled at the woman. "Yeah, it's been a beautiful wedding."

"Who knows, maybe you'll be the next in line? Your brother's put a ring on that hula girl's finger but I'm starting to wonder if he'll ever actually get her up the aisle. My money's on you before him." Mickie's grandma stopped to sip her champagne before glancing at Ted. "Speaking of which, you haven't introduced me to your new boyfriend."

Ted felt his heart stop for a moment, unsure of how to react, guilt swimming over him. Mickie's grandma wasn't the first person at the wedding to comment on what a nice couple they were. He knew this wasn't a date and so did Mickie but to everyone else, of course it looked like they were together. He wondered whether coming to the wedding was a mistake. It wasn't like he was doing anything wrong, yet it felt that way.

"Actually, Ted's not my boyfriend, he's just a friend." The brunette broke the silence that had formed amongst the three of them.

She shot her granddaughter a 'Gotcha' look, suggesting she didn't quite believe what she was saying.

"Come on, Ted, let's go dance." Mickie grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him away from the table onto the dance floor, as Daughtry started playing. She looped her arms around his neck and he put his hands on her waist but there was still a reasonable amount of distance between them; she could tell he was tense. "You're not mad about what my grandma said, are you?"

"Huh? No."

"Yeah you are." She commented with a smile. "Please don't listen to her. She is a slightly crazy old woman."

"But Micks, doesn't it seem wrong that I have a girlfriend and yet here I am, at a wedding as your date?" He was cursing himself mentally. "I love Eve and I keep saying I do but-"

"If you want to leave, then leave because if you're just gonna curse yourself for spending time with me, it's not worth it. For either of us. Plus, I don't need the guilt of feeling like a home wrecker."

They both stared at each other, the music playing in the background and the rest of the room disappearing around them.

"Well, do you want to go?"

He shook his head.

* * *

"Knock, knock." Eve stuck her head around Kelly's bedroom door to see the blonde sat on her bed, listening to Ne-Yo and going through the photos on her camera. "Can I come in?"

She turned off her camera and lowered the volume of her music, patting the spot on the bed in front of her for Eve to sit down on. "Of course."

Maybe Eve was being a busybody and it wasn't her fight to get involved in but Kofi was family and she couldn't let him go on thinking everything was fine when it clearly wasn't. It had been weighing on her mind all day, plaguing her thoughts. Perhaps if the two worked through their problems then they could stay together.

"There's something I need to talk to you about, it's kinda been eating away at me." Eve stayed on her feet instead of taking Kelly's offered seat. "Where's Kofi?"

"At the gym but he's coming back in a bit and we're heading out for dinner with Rosa and Zack." Kelly saw the concern on her friend's face. "What's up with you? You're all...twitchy and stuff."

"Like I said, it's been bugging me all day. The other night, I...I saw something...something I don't think I can keep quiet about much longer."

"You're scaring me now, Eve. We're best friends, it's like a rule that you have to tell me what's bugging you."

Eve sighed. "The other night, I saw you and Randy. Together."

Steely silence. Kelly looked across at a standing Eve with an unchanging face. In her head, however, she was freaking out, thinking 'How the hell did she find out?' Denial seemed the best option and as coolly as possible, she said "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Don't act like an idiot, Kells. I saw you and Randy together so I followed you and saw you kiss him and then you both went into his house."

"You followed me?" The blonde exclaimed, mortified. "Oh my God, what are you, my stalker?"

"I don't think me following you is the problem, the problem is you cheating on my brother!"

At the sound of Eve's raised voice, Kelly jumped up and punched her friend on the arm. "Hey, wanna keep your mouth shut? I don't want the whole house knowing!"

The brunette saw the worry that was hidden underneath Kelly's anger and softened her voice. "Why'd you do it?"

"It was a mistake, the biggest mistake-"

"You can say that again-"

"Shut up, I'm already feeling guilty; I don't need you giving me the third degree as well." Kelly scowled. "Kofi and I had been fighting and things just blew up that day. I drank too much and Randy was being great...it happened and I can't take it back."

"You can't take it back, but you have to make it right."

"How?"

"Be honest with him." It wasn't said in a malicious way. Eve put her hands on Kelly's shoulders and pressed her forehead against her best friend's. "Tell him the truth. Tell him everything you said to me – except maybe cut out a few of the shut ups."

"I want to tell him – so badly – but we just made up and I don't want to break the peace." There was desperation in the blonde's eyes. "It doesn't matter if it's the wrong thing. I can't tell Kofi-"

"Can't tell Kofi what?"

Both girls turned around to see Kofi stood in the doorway.

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Ooh, cliffhanger.  
The next chapter will have two big events so be sure to look out :)  
Please **review** :) xx


	16. We're Done

Thank you for all the reviews :) Here's the next chapter...

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**WE'RE DONE**

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As soon as Dolph saw Kaitlyn walking towards the table he'd got for them, he stood up to greet her, being a true gentleman.

"You know, I've never been on a breakfast date before." She told him as she slipped into her seat and poured herself a glass of orange juice from the jug on the table. "But nevertheless, I'm glad you decided to call me. It took you long enough." The final comment was followed by a cheeky wink.

Going over to talk to Kaitlyn at the club was the easy part. The more he spoke to this girl, the more he realised how awesome she was. Yes, Kaitlyn was extremely hot but as well as that, she was one of the funniest chicks he'd ever met and was so easy to talk to. She was originally from Houston and had tagged along with her friend Naomi, who was visiting family in Florida.

That meant that Kaitlyn wouldn't be a permanent fixture. On the other hand, Dolph would have to deal with Nikki every day for at least another year, as well all the reunions after that and everytime he came home from college...okay, the way he said that 'having to deal with Nikki' made it sound like he hated her. He didn't hate her in the slightest, she was one of the coolest girls he knew, but he wanted to keep his options open. He was still young and he didn't need to be tied down. Besides, Nikki was chilled, she'd understand.

"So what took you so long?" She asked as the waitress brought over toast for the pair – apparently the best toast in the world, according to Brie and Montel. "What took you so long to call me?"

Dolph was unsure of how much he should reveal to tell Kaitlyn. With nothing to lose, he decided to be honest. "Well, there's this other girl-"

"Ah," Kaitlyn nodded knowingly. "I thought as much."

"Let me explain." He didn't want her to hear that and then storm out. "There's this other girl and we've known each other pretty much since we were in kindergarten. In high school, we had a...thing."

"A thing?"

"I've slept with her a bunch of times and we go on dates and stuff but we've never been boyfriend or girlfriend or said that we're exclusive." He explained, pausing to chomp on a slice of toast. "Nikki's great and everything, seriously she's one of my best friends but if we're not exclusive and there's another girl that seems awesome, why can't I see her? Her being you."

"I gathered." She laughed, her lips parting and showing a set of Hollywood white teeth. "I like you, Dolph and I wanna keep seeing you but when I didn't come up to you that first night, it was because I didn't want any drama. If something's going to make this Nikki chick mad-"

"Kaitlyn, I'm a relaxed guy, I don't need the drama either. If there was gonna be a problem, I wouldn't have seen you in the first place." He was doing his best to persuade her but Kaitlyn was tough. "Okay, what're you up to the rest of the day? Actually, don't answer that. We're gonna go out."

"Ooh, where are we going?" She giggled.

"I dunno. Why don't we see how breakfast goes?"

* * *

"You see that girl down there?" From Eve's bedroom balcony, Cody pointed down to the beach, where a busty blonde in a tiny blue bikini had just emerged from the water and was now sprawled across a sun lounger. "Act as my substitute wingman. Do I stand a chance?"

Without hesitation, Eve said "Hell no!" before sipping her morning coffee.

"Seriously? Don't sugar coat it or anything. Kelly stepped in as my wingman a couple of days ago and she was a lot less brutal."

"Well, if it's Kelly you're looking for, don't expect her to come out anytime soon." She sighed and looked back into the house. The previous night, as soon and Kofi walked in on Eve and Kelly, the brunette scuttled away, leaving the rowing couple to fight it out. And fight it out they did. Every so often, shouts would swim through the walls but no-one dared enter.

"What's actually going on between them?" Cody asked.

"I don't want to get involved but all I'll say is that I dunno if they'll get through it." Eve felt sad saying it aloud and decided to quickly change the subject. "I'm glad you and I are hanging out today, Cody. You're Ted's best friend and we don't spend enough time together...just the two of us."

Cody smirked at the female across the tiny breakfast table from him. "Are you coming onto me?"

"I'm not that subtle, am I?"

"I don't blame you, I am irresistible." His smirk morphed into a boyish smile, before he asked "So how's your internship going at the Miami Herald? I could swear that seemed to come out of nowhere."

"I guess it kinda did." She didn't want to reveal too much about it but obviously she couldn't hide the internship from her friends. "I saw an ad for it in a local paper and thought I might as well go for it. I didn't expect to get it but when I did I was like... hey, it'll look good when I'm applying for colleges."

"Yeah, they love internships, don't they? But surely having a summer job means you don't see Ted that much?"

Cody's point made Eve sit back in her chair and frown. It suddenly hit her that this summer so far, she'd barely spent any time with her boyfriend. They'd wake up in the morning and have breakfast together but would barely see each other until they were going to bed at night. Other than when they first arrived in Miami, she couldn't think of the last time they spent a full day together.

"I'm guessing by your silence that the answer to that is yes."

"Am I a bad girlfriend?" Eve finished off her coffee with a deep, tired sigh. "Like, am I doing something wrong?"

"Please, most guys would kill for a girlfriend like you." He pretended to ignore the blush that fell on Eve's cheeks. "If Ted wants to spend all his time with Mickie, that doesn't mean you're a bad girlfriend."

Eve chose to ignore what Cody just said. She was aware that Ted was good friends with Mickie but didn't like to think about it. There was nothing but trust between the pair and she didn't want people to make her think otherwise. "Either way, I need to regain his attention."

"You know what would gain my attention? Victoria's Secret."

"Well Mr Rhodes," Going into the bedroom and grabbing her handbag and a pair of shoes, Eve smiled. "It looks like we're hitting the stores."

* * *

It was the longest minute of Brie's life.

Sat on the closed toilet lid with her head in her hands, she couldn't believe she'd let something like this happen. Okay, maybe she was a little ditzy sometimes and didn't have book intelligence but she was a smart girl and surely wouldn't let something like this happen. She and Montel were safe and they were smart in their decisions.

Well, apparently not, if here she was, sat in the bathroom, waiting for a pregnancy test to activate.

As a kid, Brie dreamt of being a mom. She had more dolls than Nadya Suleman had kids and loved each and every one. Although, when she was playing with her babies, she never expected that she'd be entering her senior year of high school with a baby in her belly.

She was still a kid herself... looking after a bag of flour in home economics was different to a real baby. Plus, she'd watched Teen Mom and she didn't want to end up in the same way as some of those girls. There were so many things she wanted to do before getting pregnant; college, getting a job, finding a husband. She had her whole life ahead of her to have kids...but please, not now.

"_Hey Brie, hurry the fuck up!"_ Her sister banged on the bathroom door, shaking her out of her thoughts. _"Rosa and I are hitting Quirk and I need to get my make-up bag!" _

Without having to look at her sister, Brie grabbed the pink case and stuck her hand out the door and handed it to Nikki, before shutting the door again, locking herself inside.

And she hadn't even considered how Montel would act about this. Sure, her boyfriend was incredible and supportive of everything she did but a baby? He probably didn't know how to bring up a kid and he had a bright future ahead of him; he didn't need the stress of a bun in Brie's oven.

Brie didn't have to worry anymore, as the alarm on her phone signalled that the test was done. Hesitantly, she walked over to the sink counter and picked up the test. She didn't even need to look to know what the result would be; this was the forth test today which had shown that heart-breaking blue line.

_

* * *

_

In Jack's opinion, there was no better end to a night out than a trip to a twenty-four hour McDonalds. He and Tiffany sat in the back of a cab, eating their cheeseburgers in companionable silence but when they reached some traffic lights, Tiffany spoke up, her voice kind. "You could've gone off with her, you know. I wouldn't have minded."

He knew exactly what she was referring to. Earlier on at Quirk, a petite Asian chick – her name was Lena, Jack thought, he wasn't really paying attention – was almost definitely coming onto him. With Tiffany there though, he didn't exactly want to get with her and when she invited him on to another club, he declined, deciding to stay with Tiffany. "Nah, she wasn't really my type."

"So beautiful and bubbly isn't your type?" Tiffany observed.

Bubbly and beautiful definitely was his type, he wanted to tell her, because that's what he loved about her. "Well, what about you? The barman was making eyes at you all night and you didn't get his number."

"He was _not_." She giggled, finishing up her burger and screwing up the wrapper it came in as they pulled up outside the beach house. When she looked out of the window at their place, she found it difficult to believe what she was seeing. "Oh God."

"What?" Jack turned around from paying the driver to see Drew stood on the porch with his hands on his pockets, waiting for Tiffany. "What the fuck is he doing here? Do you want me to get rid of him?"

"No, let me sort this. Just wait in here." Tiffany got out of the cab and walked towards her ex with her hands on her hips. For a little while, he made her knees weak but she felt nothing for him anymore and she wanted to get him out of her life once and for all. "What're you doing out here?"

"I assumed some people would be in because there's a light on upstairs but when I rang the bell, no-one answered." That light would be Kofi and Kelly, Tiffany thought, and they wouldn't be leaving anytime soon. "So I decided to wait out here until you got home."

"Don't waste your own time. I have nothing to say to you so you might as well leave."

"Well, I've got plenty to say to you." Drew stepped towards her but she flinched away, not comfortable around him anymore. "That night you saw me was a huge mistake. You know how things get out of hand on nights out, stuff happens that shouldn't and you get caught up in it. I kissed a girl that I shouldn't have and I never wanted to jeopardise things between us. Like I said, it was a mistake."

"Really? What about all the other girls you and Wade have been hooking up with?" Jack had told Tiffany everything and there was no way she was letting Drew back into her life. He'd lied to her and she wasn't going to be a pushover. "Were they mistakes?"

Obviously oblivious to the knowledge Tiffany have, Drew froze. After a couple of seconds of deciding how to respond, he stepped towards her once again, this time cupping her face in his hands and stroking her cheeks. "Tiffany, you're wonderful and if you'd just let me-"

"Hey!" Jack, having watched everything from inside the cab, felt furious when he saw Drew touch Tiffany and got out of the cab and stormed towards them. "She doesn't want to talk to you. Piss off."

"Who the hell are you?" Drew turned his attention to Jack for a second, before turning back to Tiffany. "Is this your new boyfriend?"

"What? No!" Tiffany exclaimed, outraged. "Seriously Drew, just go. I don't want to hear anymore."

"But I-"

"She doesn't want to hear anymore from you." Jack stepped up to Drew. They were about the same height but Jack betted with himself that he was probably a bit heavier and could beat him in a fight. "You have two choices. Get the hell out of here and leave Tiffany alone or stay here and get your ass kicked by me."

Drew didn't respond, the scowl still etched onto his face.

"The clock's ticking, Braveheart. What's it gonna be?"

The Scot went to speak but with no way of getting round Jack, he departed, going over to his car and driving down the road and out of sight.

Waiting a couple of seconds before saying anything to Tiffany, Jack pulled her into a half-hug and asked "Are you okay?"

"I need fries." She reached into the McDonalds bag Jack was holding and pulled out a handful of fries, eating them with a frown on her face. "Man, I hate that guy. Thank you for coming and standing up for me."

"No problem." With his arm around her, he could feel her arms getting cold. "Come on, let's go inside and put on a DVD."

She nodded and with Jack's arm around her, they walked inside.

* * *

Kelly was so tired. She and Kofi had been in the bedroom arguing since the previous night and she couldn't bear it anymore. They were going round in circles and the shouting was over but they were still there, unsure of how to get out of this predicament.

She looked over at Kofi, who was lying down on his back, his hands in front of his face. Reluctantly, she lay down on the bed next to him and wrapped an arm around his waist, burying her face in the crook of his neck. "I can't apologize to you anymore for what I did. I messed up big time and I need you to forgive me."

"How am I meant to forgive you? You fucked another guy." He took his hands off his face and turned his head to look at her. "You fucked another guy and there's nothing you can do to take it back."

"It meant nothing-"

"If it meant nothing, that's even worse. That just means you did it for no reason. If you were gonna cheat on me, I'd rather it was with some guy you'd fallen madly in love with."

"You don't mean that." She said. "If I came back and told you I'd fallen in love with Randy and wanted to end things with you because of it, that wouldn't make this better. Your feelings wouldn't be any different. You'd probably say you'd rather it was a stupid one night stand."

"It doesn't matter either way. You still did what you did." He peeled Kelly's limbs off his own and walked over to the window, looking out at the dark night. "And I don't know how we're meant to get past that."

"Kofi, I need you. We've already been through so much, I don't know what I'd do without you." She followed him, grabbing his bicep and turning him around so he was looking at her. There were tears slipping from her eyes – she was unsure of how she had the energy, over the past day, she was surely all cried out – and they rolled down her cheeks. "Please, if there's some way we can work through this-"

"Hmm, maybe you can create a time machine and go back in time to amend what happened? No? Okay, there's nothing you can do."

"So what does that mean? Do you want to end things between us?"

Kofi put a hand on the back of Kelly's neck and pulled her in close to him. "No...I don't know. I don't want things to end between us...but I don't know if I can forgive you for what you did."

"You can't?"

"Well...maybe. I don't know. I'm exhausted and confused but I want to sort this between us because-"

"Do you care enough to stay with me to make this work?" She turned his head so he was looking her in the eyes. There was still electricity between them; this couldn't be the end. "Do you trust me?"

"If I didn't care, I wouldn't still be here. But I don't know if I can ever trust you again."

It was like she'd become a balloon and someone had pricked her, deflating her of all her air. She felt flat. A lot of stuff had been said between them over the past twenty-four hours but that was the worst blow. If he couldn't trust her anymore, what was point? They were just wasting their own time.

Neither of them spoke and Kelly sank down onto the edge of the bed, unsure of how to respond. "And I can't do anything else to change your mind?"

"I know you love me." He looked down into her sad eyes. "But it's not enough anymore. It doesn't make up for what happened."

"So this is it? After everything we've been through, this is how it ends?"

"I didn't end this, Kells. You did."

* * *

Aww... sad times :(  
Mini spoiler alert - Cody's about to become a big part of one of the major couples' relationships. Any guesses? ;)  
Please **review! **xx


	17. Two Friends

Thank you for the reviews :) Here's chapter 17...

* * *

**TWO FRIENDS**

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* * *

**

It was a pleasant wake up call for Ted, as he felt himself coming to life with the feeling of Eve kissing his neck. As he opened his eyes and saw his girlfriend smile up at him, he murmured "Mmm, it _is_ a good morning."

"Yeah, I thought I'd be like...the greatest alarm clock ever."

"You certainly are that." He leaned over to kiss the top of her head, as she nestled it on Ted's chest. "Thank you for last night."

An even more pleasant surprise for Ted was coming home to find Eve in their bedroom, wearing a black corset, French knickers and stockings. Making up for lost time sure was a lot of fun until the pair passed out in a sweaty love-spent heap in the early hours of the morning.

"Glad to hear you enjoyed yourself, Mr DiBiase." She got out of bed and pulled on a bathrobe which was hung on the back of the door. "What do you say we spend the day together? I was thinking we could stay in bed all morning, maybe get a lazy lunch and spend the afternoon at the beach, then get some dinner and perhaps catch a movie." Back in LA, the pair would spend days together all the time and she wanted one of those again.

"Actually, I said I'd go to the movies tonight with Mickie to see the new Cameron Diaz movie but the rest of the day sounds awesome."

"Seriously?" Eve frowned.

Okay, so they'd be spending the day together but knowing he'd end up going off to find Mickie in the evening was kind of a blow to her. She liked to think she was pretty good at hiding it – usually she'd keep herself busy with the internship – but she worried about Mickie and Ted's growing friendship, more so since her talk with Cody a couple of days prior. Could this girl be jeopardising her relationship?

"Yeah, is that a problem?"

"No, no, I just thought we could spend the day together." She paused, looking down at Ted who was still lying in bed. "But if you want to hang out with Mickie instead, that's fine."

"Well, it's obviously not." Ted could tell by Eve's tone that she wasn't happy. "Is something wrong?"

"I said everything's fine so yeah, everything's fine."

"Are you annoyed about me hanging out with Mickie?"

"What the hell do you think?"

The room went silence after Eve snapped at Ted. Unsure of what to say to make it better, she turned on the radio until The Killers was quietly playing and grabbed her towel off the bedpost. "I'm gonna take a shower. Maybe we could go get some breakfast when I'm done."

Avoiding the subject was definitely the easiest response.

_

* * *

_

Kofi hated saying goodbye to people, especially ones he cared about. When he and Kelly were together, she took the psychological approach and said it had something to do with his mom always being away on her travels and deep down, him not wanting her to go. He'd tell her she was talking shit and they'd laugh about it.

He wasn't really saying goodbye anyway. Spending a taster weekend at Morgan State in Baltimore wasn't exactly like moving from Denver to Los Angeles a year prior. He didn't want a big deal made about his going away – most of his friends at the beach house were doing other stuff the day he was leaving – so they'd text him, telling him to have a great time.

Duffel bag in hand, he made his way out to the front of the house where a cab was waiting to take him to the airport. He looked back at the beach house, a smile falling onto his lips. Yeah, he'd be back but he was gonna miss this place. Over the vacation, it genuinely felt like home to the whole group. His smile faded, however, when he looked up at the bedroom window and saw Kelly looking down at him.

There was still something between them that wouldn't disappear overnight. Kofi loved her more than any girl he'd loved before but he couldn't get over what she did. Never would he cheat on her and it made him angry to think that whilst he was feeling guilty for snapping at her, she was screwing another guy. He was still mad at her but there was so much sadness beneath that.

From the window, Kelly raised a hand in 'goodbye' but Kofi didn't respond, instead he turned around to get into the cab.

"Wait!"

He looked back at the beach house and running out of the front door was Alicia, his ex girlfriend prior to Kelly, dragging a suitcase along the ground.

"Alicia, what're you doing?"

"You're heading to Baltimore, right? Well, so am I."

"Really?" Kofi couldn't remember Alicia ever expressing an interest in Morgan State whilst they were dating. Although didn't she have connections-

"My uncle's a professor there and my parents are both alumni so there's no harm in me going to look around." She smiled. "If you want me to get my own cab-"

"No, it's fine. It'd be nice to have a familiar face around." Kofi admitted. Regardless of how they ended, Alicia was a cool girl and would fun to spend the weekend with. "Besides, we can split the cab fare."

"I thought the gentleman always paid?" She joked before putting her case in the trunk and climbing into the backseat.

Kofi looked back up at the house to find Kelly was gone. No, he didn't like saying goodbye but sometimes you have to in order to move forward.

* * *

The lunchtime rush had left Starbucks and Maria had her pick of the tables. After selecting two comfortable armchairs in the window, she settled down, her headphones in her ears and an iced coffee in her hand. She resisted singing along to the Lady Gaga playlist she'd compiled, instead wrapping her lips around the cookie she'd treated herself to.

"That looks good." The redhead was mid-bite when Mickie sat in the seat opposite her, slipping off her Converses and sitting cross-legged. "I'm so envious of you. You eat like a horse and put on, like...no weight."

"But I'm super lazy." Maria countered. "I was always shit in gym class whereas you were always picked first. You're always doing sport or horse-riding or surfing. Speaking of which, did you just come from the beach?"

"No, I haven't had time today. I've been at the stables and after this, I'm going to meet Ted. We're going to the movies tonight."

Maria didn't say anything. Having got to know Ted's girlfriend Lea, she felt uncomfortable about his friendship with Mickie. Especially considering how cool Lea was and how highly she thought of Ted. To say things between him and Mickie were innocent, you had to be blind, deaf and dumb.

"Anyway, fill me in on the internship." Mickie continued. "I feel like Mel and I never see you because of it."

"It's time-consuming but a lot of fun. I told you about the hotel launch, right? And I got to go to the opening of that vintage boutique in town and the owner gave me a dress for free. Not just any dress though, a Chanel dress. I nearly kissed her."

"Doesn't it get kinda boring? It's just you and the reporter."

"There's another intern." Maria explained, pulling her red curls off her face and into a braid. "You know Ted's girlfriend?"

"It's Eve?"

"Eve?" Maria wrinkled her nose. "Her name's Lea."

"Ted's girlfriend is called Eve." Mickie laughed. "Not Lea. I've met her and she said her name was Eve. Everytime Ted mentions her, he talks about Eve. Never Lea. Did she tell you her name was Lea?"

Maria nodded.

Instead of being confused, Mickie shrugged and moved on from the conversation, smiling inside. She and Ted would have something to talk about during the trailers tonight.

* * *

"That shot was lazy." John Cena commented from the La-Z-Boy chair in Randy Orton's living room. "My grandma could've made that basket."

"Ida Cena sure has a spring in her step." Randy rolled over on the couch so he could reach the popcorn bowl on the coffee table. "But she's no Lamar Odom."

"Y'know Lamar is married to Khloe Kardashian? Do you think when he's doing her, he's imaging it's Kim? Because I know Khloe's cute too and Kim has the personality of a brick but that body...damn."

Randy grinned at his friend. They both had an eye for the ladies and on the surface, John was a total gentleman but underneath, he was no different to any other red-blooded male. Years of friendship and wingman status had taught Randy this and with John going to college in Massachusetts and Randy joining the military, they knew this summer would be the last one to enjoy each other's company...in the straightest way possible.

"Beer?" Orton went into the kitchen and got two Budweisers out of the fridge. His kid sister was at a slumber party whilst his parents were staying the night after a dinner party in Orlando, so he invited John over to get drunk and watch basketball.

"Thanks." As Randy re-entered the room and tossed his friend a beer, John caught it with ease. "So the other day, Maria told me you hooked up with Ashley. What number's that?"

Randy rolled his eyes. _Hypocrite. _

"Hey, I'm not judging, I would. No wait, I have." He was too far away for a fist bump but it was mentally performed. "I mean, I know she puts out for anything with a dick but wow, her tongue and she was the finest little-"

Luckily, John didn't get to finish his sentence as the doorbell rang. He glanced over at Randy, who didn't move a muscle.

"I'll get it then." He laughed. When he opened the front door, he was surprised to say the least at the female stood on the porch. "Kelly?" He remembered the pretty blonde from their first meeting at the side of the road when the girls' car broke down.

"Hey John. Is Randy around?"

"Yeah, sure." He led her into the living room, where the man in question was sprawled across the couch. "Yo, visitor."

"Kelly?" Randy stood up to greet her before shooting John a look which told him he'd have to spend the night in Randy's room playing Xbox.

As soon as John was gone, Kelly sat down on the couch. "I didn't know where else to come. I've kinda just been wandering around, not really sure where to go and I ended up here."

"What's going on? Should I call your boyfriend?"

"What boyfriend? Kofi broke up with me." Her bottom quivered but no tears fell. He found out you and I slept together and he broke up with me. Now he's going to Baltimore for the weekend and his ex is going with him...it's all too much. He shouldn't have ended things because it's not over and everything's moving too fast..."

_Was she stoned? _Randy thought to himself. He scarcely sat down next to her and handed her John's untouched beer and she drank from the bottle in silence.

"I just...want someone to be with me." She put a hand on Randy's knee and slowly moved it up to the zip on his jeans. "Will you be with me, Randy?"

It wasn't that she wanted Randy, more that she missed Kofi. If she couldn't have the boy she loved, she'd settle for the feeling of being close to someone. Anyone.

* * *

5:59AM, the clock at the bedside read.

Peering out of the tiny gap between the curtains, Nikki could see the sun rising over the beach in the smudgy blue sky as night met morning. It was surprisingly pretty – normally she wasn't one for the fancy poetic stuff but it really was nice to look at.

Normally she wasn't up early enough to see all this pretty stuff but it had been one of those nights where she'd woken up in the middle of the night and been unable to get back to sleep. She'd gone down to the kitchen and made herself some hot cocoa, she'd tried counting sheep, she'd even tried waking Dolph up for some late night loving but the lazy ass just rolled over and fell back to sleep. Eventually, she decided the best course of action was to wait it out until a more sociable hour.

From outside her own room, the silent house showed the first signs of morning as one of the bedroom doors opened and the sound of quiet footsteps walked across the landing and into the bathroom, closing the door behind them. With little else to do, Nikki stuck her head out into the hallway and saw it was her sister Brie's door that was slightly ajar.

Nikki walked outside to the bathroom door, curious as to why her usually late-sleeping sister was up. Pressing her ear against the door, she was shocked to hear Brie puking in the toilet. Shouldn't her sister be feeling better? She assumed Brie's illness was over but obviously not.

"Brie?" She softly wrapped her knuckles against the door, only just raising her voice above a whisper. "Babe, open up, it's me."

The lock turned and Nikki let herself in, greeted by the familiar image of Brie with her head in the toilet bowl. At first, she thought her sister was throwing up again but the closer she listened, the more it sounded like sobbing.

"What's going on, Brie? You need to see a doctor because you seem really sick-"

"I'm not sick." She choked through her tears.

"Then what's going on?" Nikki crouched next to her sister, running her fingers through Brie's long dark hair and slowly rocking her back and forth. Their mother used to do it when they were kids and it was a comfort to both of them, whenever one was sad. "Please tell me what's wrong because I'm so worried about you right now-"

"I'm pregnant." Brie looked up at her sister with red eyes. "I'm seventeen, I'm pregnant and I'm terrified."

* * *

I know that was mostly Ted/Eve/Mickie & Kofi/Kelly/Randy but I've been ill and haven't been able to write much.  
Never fear, the next chapter will have the other couples in :)

Anyway, please **review**! xx


	18. Don't Cry Out

Thanks for the reviews :) Here's chapter 18...

* * *

**DON'T CRY OUT**

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* * *

**

"_Ladies and gentlemen, we will soon be landing in Baltimore, Maryland. We hope you've enjoyed your flight with us and we also hope you'll be flying with our airline again soon." _

Kofi rubbed his eyes and sat up straight, having been woke up by the sound of the air hostess on the intercom. He didn't know how long he'd been asleep; all he remembered was eating a steak with peppercorn sauce and laughing at Alicia's smoked salmon salad which only actually contained about three pieces of salmon. They'd slept for the second hour of the flight but the first hour they'd spent talking had flown by.

"Leesh," His ex had fallen asleep with her head rested against his shoulder, her recently dyed red curls brushing against his cheek. "Leesh, we're in Baltimore, wake up."

She almost imitated Kofi's actions, rubbing her eyes and straightening up to look at him with a weary smile. "Seriously? We're in Baltimore already?" She then looked down at her half-eaten salad with a smile. "That flight went by...fast."

"Yeah well, time flies when you're having fun." Kofi joked, nudging her lightly.

"God, cheesy much?" Alicia laughed back, getting to her feet. "I'm just gonna use the bathroom before we land."

It may not have seemed that way in the past but Kofi genuinely felt bad for the way things ended between him and Alicia. For a while, he really did care about her but it was just a shame that he had to fall for Kelly that little bit harder. For him, the worst part was how they just stopped talking after what happened.

He'd rather have had Alicia as a friend than not at all. Kofi told himself to stop being so sensitive about all this crap. He'd be at Morgan State soon enough meeting new people and making new friends. He needed to get away from all this drama.

"Ready to go?"

Had he fallen asleep again? When Kofi looked up, Alicia was stood above him holding her Louis Vuitton hand luggage.

"Yeah." He nodded, following her lead. "Let's go."

* * *

Considering it was a hot Miami summer afternoon, the local pool was surprisingly empty, leaving just Jack and Tiffany to enjoy it. When the female came out of the changing room in her bikini, Jack was already doing laps in the pool so Tiffany decided not to disrupt him. She laid her towel over one of the pool loungers and lay back, letting the warmth radiate in through the glass ceiling.

Thinking with how he probably didn't even realise she'd come out of the locker room, Tiffany smiled. She watched as Jack stormed across the pool, his muscular arms cutting through water. He was fast – then again, he'd been on the swim team since freshman year so she expected no less of him. She'd seen him swim before at school events but that was racing against other people or schools, it felt much more intimate, just seeing him alone.

After a couple of minutes, Jack stopped swimming and swam to the edge, resting his elbows against the surface, a broad smile on his lips as he rubbed the water out of his eyes. "Are you not coming in?"

"I'm comfortable enough out here." Tiffany shrugged.

"Don't be a chicken," He got out of the pool and stood in front of the lounger she was lying on.

The blonde stayed put, folding her arms across her chest with a wry smile. "You gonna drag me in there yourself?" Perhaps challenging him wasn't the best idea, as Jack leant forward and wrapped an arm around Tiffany's waist, lifting her into the air, spinning her around until she was squealing. "Put me down, Swagger!"

He clearly had bad intentions as he scooped her up into his arms and started running until they lifted off the poolside and crashed down into the water, briefly drifting under before floating to the top again.

When she reached the surface, Tiffany spluttered, water having entered every organ in her body. As pissed off as she was, she couldn't stop giggling, her smile spreading onto Jack. He was still holding onto her, his hands against her upper back and soft thighs. Their faces were inches away and where her hand was rested against his chest, she could feel his heart beating against her.

Tiffany suddenly became very conscious of how close they were, realisation setting in of how dangerous a situation this was. She released herself from his grip and stood in the water a couple of steps away from him.

"You're a dick." She smirked, running a hand through her west hair. "You'd be so sorry if I couldn't swim."

"But you can."

Grinning, she shook her head and sat on the edge of the pool. "Whatever, Michael Phelps. Do some more laps."

She watched as Jack started swimming again but she wasn't paying much attention this time. What happened just then? Whatever it was, it shouldn't have happened and she told herself it never would again.

* * *

Nikki's shopping trip had been a bit of a disaster. To take her sister's mind off the pregnancy, she thought retail therapy was the solution but apparently not, as every shop they went into, Brie was on the brink of tears about the fact that soon, she wouldn't be able to fit into any of her clothes and was worried that even Juicy Couture sweat pants wouldn't fit her.

"I'm sorry, I know you were just being a good sister." Brie sniffed as they travelled home in the back of a cab. "I'm just being an emotional wreck right now."

"Hey, you're pregnant, you're allowed to be a bit teary." Nikki reached into her handbag and pulled out a tissue so her sister could wipe her eyes. "And to be honest, we've probably done a little too much shopping this vacation. Having a day off isn't the worst thing in the world."

"Did Nikki Bella really just say there was such a thing as too much shopping?"

"You'll only hear those words cross my lips once." She mimed zipping up her lips and throwing the key over her shoulder. "I know you probably don't want to talk about it but have you spoken to Montel yet?"

Brie shook her head. "We're going out for dinner tomorrow night and I'm going to tell him then. I can't just spring it on him...I need to plan what I'm going to say to him, otherwise it's not going to come out right." As they pulled up outside the beach house, Nikki reached into her wallet to pay the driver but Brie stopped her. "Please, I ruined the day. Let me at least pay for the tearful journey."

Just as Brie was sorting out the money with the driver, Nikki looked out of the window at the beach house. An unfamiliar silver car sat outside and before she could ask her sister whose it was, Dolph left the house hand-in-hand with a female she didn't recognise. The girl was curvier than Nikki and had a light tan and brown/blonde hair. Dolph had clearly just said something funny as she was laughing and lightly slapping his left pec. They didn't see her as they went over to the silver car and drove away.

"Wow, Niks." Obviously Brie had been watching as she squeezed her sister's knee. "I had no clue."

Nikki shook her head sadly. "Neither did I."

* * *

"Hi, I'm looking for someone that I think works here. Eve Torres?" Mickie James was a woman on a mission. The phrase 'hell hath no fury like a woman scorned' and that was certainly how she'd felt since the previous night.

The brunette had put on her best jeans, a cute blue silk top (it was Maria's but she didn't feel it necessary to point that out) and a pair of heels. Heels. She never wore heels and she went to the effort for her movie trip with Ted. Hell, she even let Maria do her hair and make-up. Just as she was about to leave Maria's house to go meet him, however, she received a text from him saying that he couldn't make it and they could do something another time.

At first, Mickie wasn't pissed off – he could've been ill or had a problem at the beach house. Seeing as Maria was free, the pair called Melina and the trio went to the movies together. Once their film finished and they were leaving, who else was entering the theatre but Ted and Eve? The happy couple didn't see the trio and Mickie managed to contain her anger from her two friends but inside, she was seething.

Perhaps it was a little harsh of her to be so angry at him for wanting to see his girlfriend but she had her reasons. And those reasons included showing up at Eve's work to find out what all this Eve/Lea business was about.

"Eve Torres?" The receptionist wrinkled her nose and she appeared to be scanning through some computer files. "I'm sorry, there's no-one here called Torres."

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I say Eve Torres?" Mickie 'corrected' herself. "I meant Lea Florres? Curly brown hair? Tall and pretty?"

"Yes, Lea is one of our interns. Our interns aren't actually in at the moment, they're out on assignment. You can hang around if you want?"

"No, I'll catch up with her later." Mickie feigned a smile and left the newspaper offices, stepping outside into the sun. As soon as she was off the office site and walking down the street, she took her cell phone out of her pocket and began texting Ted.

_I think there's something you should know. _

* * *

Although she hated to admit it, Maryse loved dancing. Other than cheerleading, she gave off the impression she kept her moves to a minimum but usually when she was home alone, she loved to put on some Rihanna and strut her stuff around the house. After a couple of drinks, however, all insecurities disappeared and she didn't care who was watching. The DJ was blasting out 'Only Girl in the World' so she just closed her eyes and moved.

Well...did grinding count as dancing? There was an eligible suitor stood behind her, his hands on her hips and their bodies moving together. Maryse wasn't entirely sure what his name was – he just approached her and started dancing – but from what she could tell, he had nice shoes and smelt of Hugo Boss.

"You're really beautiful." He said in her ear over the music.

Normally she'd have responded with a flirty comment but her senses were flooded with vodka-based cocktails so all she could do was nod lazily, a closed-mouth smile on her lips.

Maryse didn't see anything wrong with being a little promiscuous. She was up for a bit of dirty dancing and maybe even a cheeky kiss to end the night but her failed experiences with Wade taught her to stay away from sex; it was dangerous territory and brought out way too many emotions. The second you give someone your body, there's an emotional attachment and that was the last thing she wanted.

"It's getting pretty late." Hugo Boss (as Maryse nicknamed him) pushed his watch in her face. "Maybe we should get out of here?"

"Sorry, I came here with my friends and I plan on leaving with them." She looked around for Rosa, Zack, Cody or Mike but she couldn't see any of them.

"C'mon babe, don't be a tease." He leered, moving his hands onto her ass.

"I said no-"

"Why're you being such a tease? My place is just round the corner." She tried to push him off her but he grabbed her wrist and tightened his grip on her.

"Get the hell off me!"

"Hey, she told you to clear off!" The guy that turned out to be Maryse's knight in shining armour was the last person she expected to come to her rescue.

"Oh yeah? What're you gonna do about it, pretty boy?"

"I may be a pretty boy but I'm not afraid to kick your ass if you don't leave my girlfriend alone." Maryse had never seen Cody Rhodes so assertive, as his right fist smacked against his free hand.

"Let's go then."

Before anyone could swing a punch, however, Maryse stepped forward and kneed Hugo Boss where it hurt. He doubled over, clutching his crotch, this giving Maryse the chance to grab Cody by the elbow and pull him outside. As soon as the night air hit them, Maryse found herself grinning. "I'm sorry but I have to comment...girlfriend?"

"Well, it worked, didn't it?" Cody defended. "I definitely saw some fear in his eyes."

"Was that before or after I possibly made him infertile?"

Cody shook his head before hailing them a cab. "Clearly you're too drunk to appreciate my heroic gesture." At a glance, Maryse may not have seemed wasted but the closer Cody looked, her eyes were fluttering with tiredness and she was swaying in her heels. He helped Maryse into the cab and sat next to her.

As soon as the engine started up, she giggled and rested a head against Cody's shoulder. "You're funny, Rhodes."

He wanted to retort but Maryse had fallen asleep. All he could do was enjoy the peaceful cab ride and pray she didn't drool on his Ralph Lauren polo.

* * *

Other than the last bit, this is a total filler. I was pretty much just trying to get an update in because it's been 2 weeks or so.  
I'd also love it if you could check out my new fic '_Hide'. _It would really mean a lot so thanksss!  
Anyway, please **review** lovely people :)


	19. Young Ones

Thank you for the reviews and here's chapter 19 :)

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**YOUNG ONES**

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"We shouldn't really pass out in front of the TV."

Rosa and Tiffany both peeled open their eyes and looked around the living room, having both fallen asleep on the couch. The blonde of the two – not that hair colour was a reliable source to go by, considering the amount Rosa dyed her locks – had spent the night watching movies with Jack but when Jack went to bed, Rosa came in from the club and joined Tiffany on the couch, helping her finish up the chocolates she'd been eating.

"Definitely not." Tiffany agreed, climbing out from under the duvet she did not remember falling asleep underneath. She stood up and walked over to the mirror, checking out the cover crease that had formed on her face. "Nice," She muttered.

"Morning sleepyhead." In the kitchen, Jack was awake and on hand with a cup of coffee for the sleepy blonde.

"Coffee? I've taught you well." She accepted the cup happily and hoped the caffeine would wake her up. "Thank you."

"Thank me for the duvet too."

"That was you?" She giggled. "Wow, you _are_ getting good. Jovita would be proud. Maybe I could teach you how to do laundry today?"

"Ask me again once I've been for a run." He put in his iPod earphones and grabbed a water bottle before disappearing out the back door and down onto the beach.

When she returned to the living room, Rosa was curled up under Tiffany's duvet with a sly smile on her face. "Coffee from Jack?" Tiffany didn't say anything as she sat down next to the Latina innocently. "You two have been awfully close since we got to Miami. Care to share?"

"There's nothing to share." Tiffany blushed, hiding behind her cup. "Jack and I are friends."

A couple of days ago, she'd have said that with complete honesty but since their encounter at the pool, she'd felt some sort of tension between them. Not an awkward tension, just an extra...chemistry. She couldn't really describe it but she was seeing Jack differently and unfortunately, she didn't think that was a good thing.

Anytime she began to feel feelings she shouldn't towards him, she had to remind herself of how he treated Eve. No, he just a friend and she wasn't going to get into bad territory with him. Anyway, for all she knew, his feelings for her were completely platonic and it was just her own imagination, conjuring up all this so-called attraction. At least, that's what she told herself.

"Please, before we arrived here, you guys hadn't spoken to words to each other and now it's impossible to find one of you without the other. You aren't actually telling yourself you're just friends?"

"Jack and I are friends." The blonde repeated, putting her coffee down on the table. "Don't go round telling people something's going on between Jack and me. We're friends. That's it."

* * *

Pictures didn't do the Morgan State campus justice. It wasn't really describable; it was traditional yet modern and urban but still very tranquil. Both Kofi and Alicia had been through the brochure but it wasn't the same as actually being there; they felt as if they were in the catalogue and people were looking at them.

When it came time for a lunch break, their tour guide disappeared and left the groups of students to look around on their own. Everyone in their group seemed pretty nice but when they dispersed, they ended up tagging along with Frankie Kazarian and Traci Brooks, who were boyfriend and girlfriend from Canada. They seemed pretty cool, plus Frankie's older brother went to the school so he knew quite a lot about it already.

"Seriously, this place is so sick." Kofi said as the foursome sat underneath a tree on campus. As it was the summer break, it was practically empty, apart from the odd student or professor here and there. Kofi and Frankie began to chat about the Morgan State sport teams, giving Alicia and Traci the chance to talk.

"So how long have you guys been together?" Alicia asked.

"We started dating in ninth grade but our parents are best friends and had been willing us to get together since we were in diapers." Traci proudly looked down at the delicate silver band around her finger. "His grandma's ring. I never take it off."

"It's gorgeous." She complimented, slightly jealous of the kind of drama-free life Frankie and Traci shared and the genuine love between them. She didn't show her envy however, only smiling politely at the brunette.

"And how long have you and Kofi been together?"

"Oh, we're not...no." Alicia became flustered, speaking quietly so her ex didn't pay any attention. "We dated for a little while in junior year but we're not together anymore. Right now, we're just friends."

"Really?" Traci seemed shocked. "Sorry, you guys just seem really close and...I dunno...well-suited."

"Well he obviously doesn't think so. I think the whole time we were together, he really wanted to be with this other girl Kelly. We broke up just before spring break and he ended up taking her to prom." Alicia barely knew Traci but there seemed to be something nice and inviting about the Canadian, so she continued talking. "They're not together anymore though. I don't know the full story but apparently Kelly cheated on him and it was a pretty nasty break-up."

"They can't be that well-suited if she cheated on him. Hey, maybe now they're apart, he'll see what was there all along."

"Me?"

"You got it." Traci winked. The guys muttered something about going to get a drink from the nearby vending machine and when they were gone, Traci began talking again. "Like I was saying, maybe tomorrow night will change things." Tomorrow night was party night. The high school students last night in Baltimore would begin with a presentation about life on campus and would end with a party at Frankie's brother's dorm that he'd invited Alicia and Kofi to.

"You think so?" Alicia asked.

"Definitely. Nothing says romance like beer pong."

* * *

Very few of the Beverly Hills teenagers used the office of the Miami beach house they were staying in. It was probably the smallest room in the house, with a wraparound desk and office chair taking up most of the space. Sometimes a member of the group might come in to check their Facebook or send their parents a quick email but other than that, Eve knew she was the only one that really used the room.

She liked that about it; it felt like her own space. It had a large window that let it lots of light, which was perfect for reading in or even closing the blinds and watching a DVD on the computer. It was peaceful and if she really wanted to be isolated, she could even lock the door behind her – not that it was necessary as she was the only one in there anyway.

Eve had just got home from having lunch with Nikki and Maryse and was going to spend the afternoon finishing some work for the Miami Herald – it was just some proof-reading of a few articles but she decided to get ahead on them. At least, that was the plan until Ted came into the study.

"You found me." She grinned, turning around from the computer to look at her boyfriend who didn't return her smile. "What's going on?"

"I dunno Eve, why don't you tell me?" He closed the door behind him. "I just got a weird call from Mickie."

"Oh yeah?" What did she say?"

"It was about you actually...about your internship." Eve didn't say a word. "Mickie's best friends with Maria and apparently when Mickie brought up 'Eve', Maria had no idea who she was talking about. Said you've been calling yourself 'Lea Florres'?" He laughed at the ridiculousness of what he was saying. "I thought I might've misheard or Mickie made a mistake but the look on your face tells me otherwise."

This was exactly what Eve didn't want to happen. She wanted to keep her life at the paper and her social life separate but apparently that wasn't possible. And what did Maria have to do with this? Eve thought that the redhead was her friend but she might've been mistaken. More importantly, why was that man-trap Mickie sticking her nose where it didn't belong?

"This isn't some little white lie, you're giving out a false name. Is something wrong?"

To explain the fake name, Eve would have to explain her father's reappearance and she just wasn't sure if she was ready to reveal that kind of detail. "I'm not in any kind of trouble and nothing's wrong, I just...I can't tell you about the name thing-"

"Why?" Ted crouched in front of her so he was looking up into her eyes. He reached up and pushed her hair behind her ears, a feeling of electricity surging through Eve as he touched her.

"I just can't."

"You're my girlfriend, Eve. When this kind of problem comes up, you can't just expect me to pretend it doesn't exist."

"Can't you just...try?" She asked weakly.

"It's not that easy though, is it? We're both mature enough to know that when we start hiding things from each other, it's not going to work."

"So you can truly say that one hundred percent of the time, you're honest with me?" Ted went silent, standing up so he towered above Eve, the buzzing from the computer the only noise in the room. "See, you can't even be honest about that." She turned back to screen without saying a word to Ted and not even looking around until she heard the door shut behind her.

* * *

As she walked down onto the beach, Maryse tried to come up with the best way to thank Cody for helping her out the previous night without actually admitting how appreciated his help was. The more she thought on it, she realised he was being a gentleman and perhaps she brushed off his efforts too quickly.

"Rhodes!" He was talking to a girl and didn't look too pleased when Maryse dragged him away from her by the arm. "We need to talk."

"Um...hi?" He raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong?"

Maryse put her hands on her hips and sighed. "I actually wanted to say thank you for last night. I really appreciate you standing up for me and I should probably have been more grateful for your efforts. And when I say efforts, I mean efforts because in all honesty, you didn't really do much."

"Wow, thanks...I guess. But any guy would've done the same." He shrugged.

"Well, I didn't see Mike or Zack coming to my rescue. You were the only one that attempted to help-"

"Like you said, I didn't do that much." He admitted with a shy smile. "I can't pull off the hero shtick. And like you pointed last night, you were the one that kneed him where it hurt."

Remembering the guy doubled over in pain brought a grin to Maryse's face. "It was a good shot, right? But I'm gonna buy you a drink tomorrow to thank you for your help."

"You don't have to do that-"

"I don't have to do anything. I'm doing this because I want to." She signalled over at the girl Cody had been talking to. "Looks like she's still waiting for you. I'll talk to you back at the house."

She made her way back up the shore, her gladiator sandals sinking into the sand with each step but on her way back to the hose, she was stopped by Mike. "Just the French-Canadian blonde I was looking for. Being the awesome guy I am, I have got us two tickets for one of the best parties in town down at Miami Pure tomorrow night. I met this guy called Alex Riley who's dad is the promoter there and he got me two tickets. How do you feel about being my plus one?"

"As fun as that sounds, you're too late. I _just_ made plans with Cody."

"Cody Rhodes?" Both their pairs of eyes travelled down the beach to where Cody was. When he noticed them looking, he awkwardly ushered his female friend away. "Cody's an alright guy but you're going on a date with him? Really?"

"Who said anything about it being a date?" The mischief was etched in Maryse's voice. "It's two friends going out."

"So you're not interested in him?"

She mimed zipping her lips and tossing the key into the sea, before walking back to the house.

* * *

"Are you sure you're okay?" Montel asked as Brie exited the bathroom, slightly paler than she went in.

"Yeah, I'm feeling a little better now." She muttered, tugging her hair out of the ponytail she'd scraped it into whilst throwing up. "I'm so sorry about tonight, I ruined everything-"

"Hey, if you're sick, you're sick. It can't be helped."

He was being so sweet about the whole thing but it just made Brie feel that little bit guiltier for spoiling it. They'd gone out to a beautiful restaurant and it was going swimmingly. Of course, something bad had to happen and just as Brie was about to drop the baby bombshell, the waiter walked past carrying a plate of lobster.

Ever since the brunette got pregnant, she'd found herself feeling ill at many types of food, seafood being the worst of all. The other day, Nikki ordered her a salad with mussels on which was a big mistake and it had only gone downhill from there. Normally she was able to control herself but the smell of lobster overwhelmed her and she had to run to the bathroom. After not coming out for around fifteen minutes, Montel decided that perhaps it was time for him to take his girlfriend home.

"Are you feeling better now though?" He asked, pulling her in for a quick half-hug.

"Yes, well...no, actually...not because of that." She took one of Montel's hands and led him into their bedroom, closing the door behind her. "There's something I need to tell you."

Montel sat on the edge of their bed whilst Brie stood with her back to the door. He didn't say anything and that just made her feel even more nervous, her stomach doing flips.

"Okay, I guess I should just come right out and say it." Her hands subtly fell onto her stomach before she revealed "Montel, I'm pregnant." She could tell by the look on his face that that was definitely not what he was expecting. He didn't move much but one of his eyebrows tweaked up slightly and he didn't take his eyes off Brie. "If you don't say something soon, I might go back to the bathroom and hide in there."

"Sorry, I'm just...surprised." He stood up shakily. "Very surprised actually. Uh...okay, are you sure? You've taken a test?" Brie nodded in response. "And...it's definitely mine? I'm sorry, I just have to ask-"

"I haven't slept with anyone else since we got together." She confirmed. "I've been thinking really hard and going back and forth about what to do. I considered having an abortion for a little while but I just can't do it. The thought of getting rid of my own baby is just not worth thinking about. I'm sorry if you'd rather that happened-"

"No, it's our baby but in the end, it's your body and choice. Whatever you choose, whether it's giving the baby up for adoption or raising it, I'll support you and if the latter is the case, then I'll support the baby too."

Brie couldn't believe how well Montel had taken it. She knew he'd be kind whatever the result but the fact he was so supportive and ready to take on fatherhood was a miracle to her. "You're amazing, you know that, right?"

"How did you expect me to react?" He laughed, walking towards Brie and pulling her on for a hug. "I love you Brie Bella and I'm here for you, one hundred percent." She allowed herself to be held by him for a little while and for the first time since she found out she was pregnant, things didn't seem so scary.

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I got major writers block writing this chapter so that's why it took a while to get done and also why most of the sections are quite short.  
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it and please leave a **review** :) xx


	20. No Strings Attached

Thank you for all the reviews, you beautiful people :) Here's chapter 20.

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**NO STRINGS ATTACHED**

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In a step Nikki decided was necessary if she was ever going to move on from Dolph, the beautiful twin had moved out of the bedroom the pair shared at the beach house. It was a move she and her sister Brie decided was essential in the recovery process and it was good luck that there was a vacancy going.

The recent unexpected break-up of Kofi and Kelly turned into a blessing for Nikki. With Kofi in Baltimore and Kelly nowhere to be found, their bedroom was up for grabs. A quick move of her belongings and Nikki was happy to call the bedroom home.

Oddly enough, when she woke up that morning, Nikki felt more relaxed and refreshed than she had in a long time. She removed her eye mask, hopped out of bed and pulled open the curtains, blocking the sun out of the room. At first, she had to shield her eyes from the bright light but after a moment or sun, she admired the beautiful weather. In the mood for a long hot shower, she covered the silk nightie she was wearing with a bathrobe, grabbed a towel and headed to the bathroom.

"Morning beautiful." Just the sound of Dolph's voice was enough to ruin her relaxed aura. With daggers in her eyes, the brunette turned on her heel to glare at him, raising one of Dolph's eyebrows. "Jeez, what's wrong with you?"

"Nothing, I'm fine." She continued on to the bathroom as coolly as possible and closed the door behind her._ Peace._ At least, that's what she thought she might get.

"_Does this have something to do with you sleeping in Kofi and Kelly's bed last night?" _He called through the door but she didn't answer. "_Can't I just apologize for whatever I've done and you'll come back to bed?" _

Did he not know why she was acting this way? What else could Nikki possibly be so angry about? She pulled open the door and smiled sweetly. "You have nothing to apologize for, sweetie. If you want to see other girls, it's your choice."

The ball dropped. "This is about Kaitlyn?"

"She has a name?" Nikki smirked, leaning against the doorframe. "Kaitlyn. How pretty. Is she good in the sack?"

"I didn't think it would bother you this much-"

"No Dolph, you just didn't think. But hey, I guess it's my fault for not making this thing between us exclusive. I just didn't realise I had to spell out every little detail for you." She looked him in the eyes. "A heads up would've been nice, that's all. It's not nice being the last to know this kind of thing."

Although she wouldn't admit it, finding out about Dolph was humiliating. Maybe they weren't an official couple but that didn't mean it hurt any less. Seeing him and Kaitlyn together was crushing, watching as she giggled into his neck and their fingers laced together. Could she give him something that Nikki wasn't able to? This whole 'not being exclusive' thing was never supposed to hurt this bad.

Nikki slammed the bathroom door and sat down on the closed toilet lid. Perhaps the strings holding together her relationship with Dolph were tied tighter than she originally thought.

* * *

"Hey Kelly, it's Tiff. Again. If you got my last one hundred messages, you probably won't need to listen to this one because it's no different. Please just call me back when you get this – you've been through a hard time and you need to be around your friends and not isolate yourself from us even more. At least let me know you're safe? Love you girl, call me back."

Ending her message, Tiffany tossed her cell phone onto the coffee table and turned to Jack, who was sat to her left. The basketball captain noticed the worry on his female friend's face and wound an arm around her shoulders, pulling her in for a half-hug. "I'm sure Kelly's okay and you're worrying for no reason."

"Is it me or is everyone in this house so caught up in their own problems that they can't even see what's going on around them? I mean, I can't really blame Brie and Montel, what with their pregnancy, but everyone else..." Tiffany found herself shaking her head. "I don't get it. One of our best friends did something completely out of character by cheating on her boyfriend, then she and Kofi break up and she pretty much disappears off the face of the earth, yet no-one seems to bother even phoning her?"

"I guess everyone's just busy." Jack shrugged. "But hey, this is Kelly. And like you said, she's been through a lot. Maybe a bit of time on her own to clear her head would do her some good."

"Maybe you're right."

"Of course I'm right." He said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Come on, let's get some breakfast."

"Only if you're cooking. That pancake recipe I taught you the other day? It's about to go into practise." She pulled him up by the hand and dragged him into the kitchen. Despite the smile on her face, she still worried where her friend was and whether she was okay.

**

* * *

**The only light source in Randy's bedroom was the tiny gap between the curtains that illuminated the room. Rubbing her eyes, Kelly looked over at the clock; it was almost twelve pm – apparently – but she'd kind of lost track of what day it was.

She would've been comfortable, if it weren't for Randy's arm draped over her and pressing down on her bladder. Carefully, she peeled him off her and got out of bed. One of Randy's t-shirts and a pair of his boxers would suffice as clothing as she pulled them on and walked down the hallway from his bedroom to the bathroom.

After peeing, she checked herself out in the mirror. _Wow, you look rough_, Kelly thought to herself. Spending days on end at Randy's house wasn't exactly a fine beauty regime, nor was a diet of takeout food and beers; she didn't even have a toothbrush of her own. She nabbed some mouthwash, splashed her face with cold water and borrowed a hairbrush which she assumed to be Mrs Orton's. She hoped she looked vaguely acceptable, now her hair was flatter and her breath didn't smell like road kill. Once she thought she was presentable, the blonde re-entered the bedroom and saw Randy was sat up in bed waiting for her.

"Too tired for round seven?" He asked innocently.

"Round seven? I've only been here a couple of days." Kelly crawled up the bed towards him and settling on his lap, her hands moving under the sheets, sending Randy's eyebrows shooting up.

"What can I say, I have stamina." Randy smirked, tugging off the t-shirt Kelly was wearing and kissing her torso. She allowed him to have his wicked way with her, pleasure seeping through her body as she allowed her physical bliss to overshadow her emotional scars.

Kelly was still hurt but more so, she was ashamed of herself; the rest of the house must've known all the bad mistakes she'd made and she just couldn't face her friends because of it. Instead she chose to hide out. Kofi was the love of her life and things between them seemed unfixable. There was no way of mending their broken relationship and that broke her heart even more. He was in Baltimore with Alicia, already moving on with his life whilst she was in Miami, fucking the one thing that fucked up her relationship in the first place.

Screwing Randy wouldn't fix things with Kofi, Kelly knew that but hope wasn't on her mind, forgetting was. She hadn't left Randy's house in days and it wasn't just because she was embarrassed. It was also because he made her forget Kofi. As long as he was making her feel good, she didn't have to think about what she'd lost and how she was truly feeling.

Eventually, she knew she'd have to return to the beach house and face everyone but for now, she was happy to run from her problems.

* * *

Eve liked to think of herself as an organised person – her school work was always finished on time, her bedroom was spotless and she had a good handle on whatever life had to throw at her, be it a small task or a big challenge.

One thing she found difficult to combat, however, was oversleeping and that morning, Eve's alarm clock had failed to go off. At least, if it had gone off, she had slept straight through it, having only drifted off to sleep at four am that morning. She quite literally grabbed a navy blue sundress, cardigan and pumps off the floor before sprinting to the paper...if you could call it sprinting, it was more of a sleepy run.

The second Eve got into the cubicle she and Maria shared, she flopped down onto the chair at her desk. When did everything get so stressful? Ted, Mickie, Maria, her dad; it was getting difficult to stay that organised person she'd always been and chaos was taking over. She was definitely feeling the brunt of it in her sleeping pattern; whilst her boyfriend slept soundly next to her, she tossed and turned, unable to turn off her thoughts.

Deciding she should probably start some work, Eve checked the office answer phone, as there was one new message that came from a very ill Maria.

"_Hey, it's Maria. If you couldn't tell by my blocked up nose, I'm so ill right now and don't want to come in and infect you! I've let Frederick know I'm not gonna be here and I've actually sent Mickie to drop off those articles I proof-read. Anyway, hopefully I'll be better soon and I'll see you later!" _

In some ways, Eve felt relieved. After her fight with Ted the other day, she didn't feel ready to speak to the redhead. Thank God, Mickie had dropped off the articles before she arrived, Eve thought, or else the Latina wouldn't be held responsible for anything she said or did. "Interfering bitch." Eve muttered, picking up the articles off Maria's desk and heading to the photocopier. Maybe she should disinfect them first if Mickie had touched them–

"Hey Lea." Frederick's assistant approached her at the photocopier – Eve decided to blame the fact she couldn't remember her name on tiredness. "Frederick wants to see you in his office when you've got a moment."

"Okay." Eve nodded. She finished up her photocopying, dropped it back off at her desk before going to her father's office. She tapped on the door before sticking her head around it. "Can I come in?" He was on the phone but signalled she come inside and take a seat on one of the available chairs. Silently, she waited until he hung up his call.

"I'm a little confused about something." He began, clapping his hands together. "Someone came into my office this morning and she said some...strange stuff. Stuff about you lying to me?"

The next time she saw her, Eve was going to kill Mickie James with her bare hands. "Let me guess. An attractive petite brunette, seemingly charming, probably dropping off those proof-read articles?"

"That sounds about right. Listen," He softened his voice. "When it comes to interns, we're a little more lenient with security checks, probably because they're unpaid. If they seem safe, they're let in. You seem unfazed by this whole thing and that's good but if you could just show me your driver's licence or something, it would really ease my nerves."

"I don't have it. It's at home." Eve answered truthfully. Being in such a rush, her wallet was still sat on her bed at home. "I might have something in my bag I could show you. I'll go check." Eve got to her feet and left Frederick's office. She didn't check her bag; instead she packed it with all her stuff and headed out of the office.

"Are you done for the day?" Frederick's assistant called from behind her.

Turning around to look at her, Eve sighed, holding the cardigan she'd taken off close to her chest. "Tell Mr Torres I'm sorry."

* * *

People were beginning to leave the dorm party in the early hours of the morning and Alicia and Kofi took this as their cue to go as well. Luckily, Frankie's brother had given them the number for a local cab service that ran all night so they didn't have to walk through Baltimore at 4am. The pair slid into the backseat as Kofi directed the driver to their hotel.

"Well, that was...eventful." Alicia giggled, taking her hair out of the bun she'd pulled it back into. "I'm actually a little speechless." She'd crashed a couple of college parties before but that was definitely the wildest. Tentatively making her way through one bottle of beer, however, she managed not to get as drunk as everyone else there. She didn't want to make a fool of herself, especially considering she was wearing sky-high Louboutins and a dangerously short mini-dress.

"Tell me about it. I told this girl I was called Kofi but she thought I said Koby. She started mumbling something about basketball and I think she thought I was Koby Bryant because I came back from the bathroom and I heard someone say he was there!"

"I heard that too actually. She was probably the same girl that kept telling me 'Songs in a Minor' was one of her top five albums of all time."

Kofi threw his head back laughing. "Drunk celebrity spotters aside, I really love it here and this weekend kinda confirmed it for me."

"Really? I'm not sure." Alicia wrinkled her nose. "I mean, I don't even know if I want to go to college at all."

"Oh yeah?"

Alicia nodded. "Tonight was great and everything and to go to another city, live away from home and meet new people would be awesome. At the end of the day, though, college is about education and we all seem to forget that. Other than the social side, I hate high school classes and if I don't even enjoy those, how am I gonna get through another four years of even harder learning? It would be wasted on me."

"So what do you want to do?" He asked.

"I dunno. My parents are in real estate but they're so busy and stressed out all the time. If I could get a good job, steady income and be happy enough with my life then I'll be content."

Kofi had never heard Alicia speak this way. In all honesty, even while they were dating, he thought of her ex as a bit of a Beverly Hills princess. The way she spoke, however, proved otherwise. He admired that she didn't want to conform to what everyone else was doing and that she knew what was right for everyone else wasn't necessarily right for her. Knowing what you wanted from life wasn't something that could be learnt through books.

"What?" Alicia caught Kofi looking at her and a smile fell onto her face.

"Nothing."

She ran a hand through her hair and allowed her gaze to meet his under the dim light of the cab. "I don't know if this is the alcohol talking-" She began "-but do you think there's the possibility of us getting back together somewhere down the line?"

"I'd never rule it out." He replied with a small smile. "If we could get past all the drama of last year."

"Do you _want_ to get past the drama of last year?"

He leaned over to put his hand on the back of her neck and without hesitation, both Alicia and Kofi leaned in, resealing their former relationship with a kiss. "I'm already past it."

* * *

As the pair drunkenly staggered up the stairs of the beach house, Cody stayed behind Maryse, holding the blonde up by her waist whilst she raised the patron bottle and shot glasses she was carrying triumphantly. "I told you I'd find them!" She stage-whispered, her giggles bouncing off the walls.

"Shh, you'll wake everyone!" Cody replied at the exact same volume.

"No, you will!" She laughed, taking him by the hand and pulling him into her bedroom, shutting the door behind them with an unintentional loud slam.

What started as being a quiet drink ended up being a bit of a wild drinking fest. One thing led to another and the pair ended up at a subtly named 'vodka party' in downtown Miami which did exactly what you'd expect. Drunkenness ensued and Cody and Maryse returned to the beach house as the sun was beginning to rise, looking to continue with the high spirits and drinking spirits.

"Let's do something fun." Maryse put on her Drake album and sat down on the bed opposite Cody before shakily pouring the patron into the tiny shot glass. "What would be fun to do?"

Cody downed the shot and winced at the sour taste.

"Truth or dare!"

"What is this, ninth grade?" He laughed, watching as Maryse poured him yet another shot.

"It'll be fun." She said, bouncing on the bed and spilling the patron in the process. "Okay, truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Ooh...on a scale of one to ten, how _beautiful_ am I?"

"Nine point nine." He didn't hesitate in answering but Maryse raised an eyebrow at him. "It would be a ten but right now, you've got vodka in your hair and it's a little too Amy Winehouse for me. But like I said, the rest of the time, you're a ten."

Maryse giggled. "You're just being nice-"

"I'm serious. You, Maryse, are the most beautiful girl...pretty much that I've ever met. Whatever room you walk into, you're the hottest in there, even if the room was filled with...I dunno, Victoria's Secret models. I remember when Jack broke up with you, I thought he was the biggest idiot _ever_. Who would honestly end things with you?"

"He _was_ stupid to end things with me." She decided, this time drinking patron straight from the bottle. "I'm not holding any hard feelings and I love Eve now but seriously, when he and I were together, we had _amazing_ sex. Like, really really _really_ amazing sex. He got absolutely nothing from her."

Instead of saying anything, Cody threw back another shot.

"I think Jack was the best I ever had. Who was yours?"

Another shot.

"Cody?" She may have been drunk but she wasn't stupid. "Oh my God, you're a virgin, aren't you?"

"Shh!" He put a hand over Maryse's mouth to stop her giggling. "Why don't you just put it on Twitter if you're gonna tell the whole house about it?"

"Sorry! I'm just...shocked. It's just...you're really good looking and since we've been in Miami, you've gotten loads of female attention. How've you not got laid?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. It's just not happened."

"Well, do you want it to happen?" Cody nodded. "You've gotta be assertive. I know we pretend we like it, but the gentleman stuff only lasts for so long. Be a little rough and rugged with a girl and she'll-"

Midsentence, Maryse stopped as Cody leaned forward, cupping her face in his hands and pulling her in for a kiss, a mix of patron and Maryse's lip gloss. Both seemed shocked by Cody instigating the kiss but neither one stopped it. Maryse pushed herself onto Cody's lap, tipping over the bottle so its contents spilt onto the floor. Her hands fumbled with the buttons of his shirt before she tossed the fabric into the pool of patron.

"I'm only game if you are." She breathed against his neck, kissing a line down onto his chest.

"I'm game."

With a mischievous smile, Maryse pushed Cody so he fell onto his back and pulled her dress over her head before scrambling onto his lap. "Get ready to become a man, Mr Rhodes."

* * *

...phew. Steamy ;)  
Anyway, hope you enjoyed and please leave a **review**!

You know what else would be absolutely _fabulous_? If you checked out my latest fic '_Don't Look Back'. _  
I just posted it the other days and I'd love to see what people thought of it :) xx


	21. The Next Step

Thanks for all the reviews :) Here's chapter 21...

* * *

**THE NEXT STEP**

**

* * *

**

"It's cold." As Dr West applied the jelly to her stomach, Brie found herself biting back a giggle at the strange sensation. "Are you sure you don't have anything...warmer?"

"I'm afraid not." The doctor responded with a laugh, setting up the complicated equipment that Brie had only ever seen before on TV shows. She looked over at Montel; he hadn't removed his hand from Brie's since they arrived and he was now watching the doctor coolly.

The couple's first scan was a huge deal. Neither of them really knew much about babies so they'd gone to see Montel's grandparents, who were nothing but supportive and helpful, booking them in for a scan at one of the best doctor's in Miami and paying for the whole thing. Montel had called his parents and told them and they were happy but Brie wasn't ready to speak to her parents yet. She would eventually but she wanted to get to grips with it herself before they interfered.

She couldn't quite believe she was about to see her baby for the first time. An array of emotions were rushing through her but everytime she looked over at her boyfriend, she felt a little better. He was so calm and composed that it eased any nerves she felt. Her friends had been amazing too, they were all thrilled for her and willing to listen anytime she needed to vent her worries.

"I think we're all set." The female doctor smiled at the young couple. "Are you ready to see your baby?"

No-one said anything as Dr West signalled at the tiniest part of the screen. It didn't matter to Brie how small it was. What mattered was that it was hers and already, she had so much love for it. Nobody could take that away from her and nobody would love that baby more than she would.

"Oh my God." Well, nobody except Montel. Brie saw him smile in a way she'd never seen him smile before, so warm and full of love. He squeezed her hand. "That's _our_ baby. Can you believe it?"

"So far, so good. Everything's looking healthy." Dr West commented. "I'm guessing you'll want a photo."

Brie wanted a hundred photos; she wanted the whole world to know she was going to be a mother.

* * *

Jack thought that since coming to Miami, he'd become much more capable around the house. Thanks to Tiffany, he could do his own laundry, cook his own meals and tidy up after himself. Obviously when he went home, he wouldn't be firing his housekeeper but at least this meant Jovita wouldn't have to follow him to college.

He'd agreed to make Tiffany lunch that afternoon and with a sandwich in hand, he made his way up to her bedroom, having not seen her all day. "Tiff?" He knocked on the door before opening but as soon as he saw her crying, he put down the plate and rushed over to her. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine." This was a blatant lie. Still in her pyjamas, her eyes were red from crying and her smile was forced as she sat cross-legged on the bed.

"No you're not. What's wrong?"

"I got a call from my mom this morning and she said my granddad had a stroke last night." Her voice cracked on the word 'stroke' and her eyes filled with tears.

"Shit Tiff." Jack sat down opposite her on the bed and pulled her in for a hug, letting her forehead rest against his shoulder. "I'm sorry. How is he?"

"He's gonna be okay. I'm probably being over-dramatic but it just really scared me, you know? I love my granddad and the thought of losing him...I know everyone dies eventually but he's so healthy and energetic, it's just difficult for me to get my head around."

"I know." He sat back and looked at Tiffany. "You've had a shock, you're allowed to cry."

Tiffany laughed softly, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "I've never really lost anyone before. All my grandparents are still alive and my great grandparents died either before I was born or when I was a baby. I hate the thought of losing people closest to me. Like you, for example. If something happened to you, I'd be distraught."

"Well, it's lucky nothing's ever going to happen to me, isn't it?" He gently wiped her tears off her face. "I mean it, Tiff. Anytime you need me, I'm here."

Slowly, she leaned over to imprint a kiss against his cheek. She probably lingered there for too long but he didn't mind that much. When she pulled away, their eyes met but neither knew what to do. As much as Jack wanted to kiss her, she was upset and the time wasn't right.

"Thank you." She said quietly.

"Are you feeling up to doing anything today?"

"We could go get something to eat – I'm starving."

"Way ahead of you." Jack went over to the dresser he'd put her sandwich down on and handed the plate to her. "Room service, ma'am."

"You're so whipped."

* * *

Walking up the path to the beach house, Kelly couldn't help but feel butterflies in her stomach. The more time she spent with Randy, the more she began to realise that burying her head in the sand wasn't going to solve anything. Kofi was going to move on and she had to too. In order to move on, she had to come home.

Ignoring her friends' calls wasn't going to make things better, in fact, pushing away those that cared about her would probably only hurt her in the long run. After all that had happened, she needed her friends more than ever. Without them, who was she meant to turn to? She thought of Tiffany and Eve, the two people she could turn to with any problem she had. What she wanted more than anything was for them to have a girls night in, get they could get a takeout and talk about everything.

Whilst deciding what she wanted to order from the Chinese, she opened up the front door and walked into the hallway. "Hello?" She called out but no-one seemed to be on the ground floor. The living room and kitchen were deserted, the only sound coming from the radio that someone had left on in the kitchen. It was lunchtime but there were still some breakfast dishes scattered across the worktop.

"Is anyone around?" She yelled again but still, no-one answered. Unsure of what else to do, the blonde decided to be productive and put the breakfast dishes in the sink, letting them soak. Normally she'd wipe down the bar where everyone ate but Rosa's ridiculously expensive purple Apple Mac. It was open and on her files with the photo album 'Summer :)' up and loaded.

Seeing as she left the window open and the photos would just go on Facebook anyway, it wasn't really snooping. That's what Kelly told herself as she sat down on one of the barstools and flicked through the album.

A pang of sadness flickered through Kelly as she saw what fun everyone seemed to have had and what she was missing out on. Photos from nights out, day trips, evenings on the beach; all the stuff she hadn't been able to do because of all the drama that had gone on; all the worrying about Kofi and Randy and what she should've been worried was that she'd wasted her summer by not hanging out with her best friends.

Kelly closed the laptop, not sure if she wanted to feel left out anymore. Instead, she decided she wanted to take a shower and cleanse herself of everything sinful she'd done at Randy's. She was just walking upstairs when Maryse's bedroom door opened and the French-Canadian stuck her head outside curiously. "Shit, Kelly. You're back?" She was revealing little other than her head.

"Yeah, I am." She giggled nervously. "Where is everyone?"

"Out, I guess. Hang on," Maryse went back in to the room for a second and came out wearing a bathrobe. "Sorry about that. Umm...yeah, I guess everyone's gone out. I know Brie's having a lie down. She had her first scan this morning – seriously, I can't get over the whole thing."

"Wait, what? She went for a scan? Is she sick?"

"Oh my God, you haven't been here, have you? Kells, Brie and Montel are having a baby. Can you believe it? Brie's pregnant. She's going to be an amazing mom, I just know it."

"I can't believe it." Kelly whispered. Brie was pregnant? How had she not been there to hear that? That was so much more than not being in a couple of photos; that was life-changing. "Wow, that's...incredible. Do you want to go out, grab some lunch and have a catch-up?"

Maryse winced. "I'd love to but actually–" She jerked her head towards the door.

"You've got a guy in there? I didn't realise! Is it anyone I know? Damn, I'm sorry, here I am, holding you up–"

"No, no, it's fine." She looked up at the clock on the hallway wall. "Just...give me half an hour. Shall we meet downstairs at one thirty?"

"Perfect. I'm gonna jump in the shower before we leave."

Maryse watched and waited until Kelly disappeared down the hall and into the bathroom, before returning to her own room and jumping back into bed next to Cody with a smile. "That was Kelly. I guess she's back from wherever the hell she's been. I said I'd go out to lunch with her at half one"

"Did she know I was in here?" Cody asked.

"I gave nothing away." She mimed zipping her lips. "Why would people suspect anything was going on between us? They'd have no reason to."

"Do you want anyone to find out about us?"

Smiling softly, Maryse rested her hand on Cody's chest, just above his heart and pressed her lips gently against his, the taste of spirits still lingering against his mouth. "I don't plan on tell anyone," Her hand ran along to the back of his neck and up to his hair as she lazily massaged his scalp, "But if they ask me, I'm not going to deny it."

"Sounds like a plan. Now you said half one? That gives us a good half an hour..." Cody pulled a giggling Maryse back under the covers, stripping her of her bathrobe.

* * *

"Something wrong?" Mickie looked across the table at Ted, who'd barely taken his eyes off his half-eaten cheeseburger since the waiter brought it over. Something was obviously bumming him out and she was pretty sure it wasn't the food he was eating.

"Not really hungry." He pushed his plate to one side and leaned back in his chair, looking around the cafe with a sigh.

"Lies." Smirking, the brunette finished off her chicken sandwich before saying anything else. "C'mon Ted, you've barely said two words to me since I arrived. Also, in the kindest way possible, it's not like you to leave food on your plate. Have I done something wrong?"

"No, no, it's not you." He told her. "I'm just a little stressed out at the moment." She shot him a look that indicated he carry on. "Eve and I had a fight the other day and we haven't really spoken since."

Ted hated the tension that was so obviously there between them. He knew his girlfriend was lying about her name at her internship and she was hiding something from everyone but he didn't know how he was meant to find out or whether he even wanted to. How was it possible that after everything they'd been through, she could still be keeping secrets from him? And if so, why? Did she not feel like she could talk to him? He thought junior year prepared them for whatever life had to throw at them but apparently not, if she still felt like she couldn't talk to him.

It was so awkward between them. They stayed in the same bed but in-between those hours where they slept, there was no interaction between them. Originally it had been because of anger but now it was pure habit. Eve didn't talk to Ted, Ted didn't talk to Eve, they just didn't talk about the problems they were having.

Instead, Ted was talking to Mickie, which was exactly what she wanted, although she tried to keep the satisfied smile off her face. "I'm sorry, Ted. I can't help but feel responsible, I mean, it was _me_ that brought up–"

"No, it's not your fault, it's mine and Eve' problem."

"If you say so." She said quietly, perfectly executing her guilty reaction.

"This whole thing is just shitty." He decided aloud, drinking up his Coke. "Obviously I don't want things to end between us but if things carry on this way...what's the point of us being together if we're just going to make each other unhappy? Damn, I hate things being this way."

"Hey, you can't help how you feel." Mickie scooted over to his side of the booth, sitting next to him and covering his hand with hers. "Sometimes in life, things just don't work out the way you hoped they would. We can try our hardest to make it work but if it doesn't...it sucks but you've got to move on."

Ted didn't say anything. He looked over at Mickie and smiled softly. "I think I just need some time to think. Here," He got up from his seat and threw some money down on the table for his food "That should cover it."

"Do you need me to come with you?" She asked after him as he walked out of the cafe but he didn't respond, closing the door behind him. Perhaps Ted storming out wasn't what she had in mind but he was contemplating leaving Eve; Mickie was definitely doing something right.

* * *

The flight from Baltimore to Miami had been a reasonably peaceful one for Kofi and Alicia and as the pair pulled up to the beach house an hour earlier than planned, the smiles on their faces were relaxed after their weekend away. Kofi paid the cab driver whilst Alicia grabbed their bags from the trunk before pressing a kiss against her boyfriend's lips.

"What was that for?" He grinned, taking both their suitcases and dragging them up the path whilst Alicia led the way, holding the house key.

"Happy to be back in Miami. Happy to see everyone again. Happy to be back with_ you_." She spun around to kiss him once more. "Now should I move my stuff into your room or do you want to bring your stuff into mine?"

"It's not really fair of me to kick Kelly out so I should probably crash with you."

The realisation that Kofi would have to see his ex again finally set in. He hadn't spoken to Kelly since the break-up and he didn't know how he was supposed to act around her. Should he be mad, ignore her or act as if nothing ever happened between them?

And what about Alicia? Was he supposed to flaunt his new girlfriend in front of his ex or should he be subtle and sensitive about the situation? Regardless of what people might have thought, he didn't want to spite Kelly, he just wanted to get on with his life and be happy.

"Hey, are you okay?" She stopped unlocking the door to look at her boyfriend again. "You've gone all quiet."

"Yeah, just thinking about Kelly." He noticed the look on Alicia's face. "Not in _that_ way. It's gonna be weird seeing her again, that's all, and I didn't know how I was meant to act...with us, you know?"

"I don't want us to be a secret, Kofi. I don't see why we should have to be. We're back together and things will be better this time because we're mature...wiser. Do you think we're going to be able to move on if we have to tiptoe around everyone, worrying about how they feel? It's _our_ relationship, no-one else's." Alicia squeezed Kofi's hand before unlocking the front door and going inside. Once he dropped the suitcases, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

Truthfully, Alicia had never fallen out of love with Kofi. Yes, she'd been the one to break up with him before homecoming but that was only because she knew he was in love with Kelly. She didn't want to end things with him but for the sake of her pride, she couldn't stay with someone that didn't feel the same way about her.

She'd told herself this time would be different. Kofi and Kelly hadn't worked out and he'd come back to the girl that he'd fallen for in the first place. Things were going to work because this time, they were ready for it. Alicia had lost Kofi ocne before and she didn't intend to do it again.

"Where is everyone?" Kofi asked, briefly pulling away from her but keeping his arms locked around her waist.

"They must be out. I guess we've got the place to ourselves for a little while." She smiled seductively and pulled Kofi over to the couch by the collar of his t-shirt. Pushing him underneath her, Alicia kissed him feverishly, her hands already undoing the buckle of his belt before she sat upright to yank off her pink tank-top, exposing her bra. They continued to make out until the front door opening stopped them.

"Hello?" Kofi pushed Alicia off of him and stood upright, only to be greeted by Maryse and Kelly coming home from their lunch date.

Neither of them saw anything but the blush on the reunited couple's cheeks – not to mention Alicia's shirt lying on the floor – told the whole story. The tension in the room could've been cut with a knife so Maryse decided to break it with a joke. "God, can't you guys get a room?"

"We just got back from Baltimore." Alicia explained. Kofi thrust her tank-top into her hands and she pulled it back on.

"Are you guys back together?" Kelly asked calmly.

"Yeah, we are."

The blonde nodded. She managed to utter "I'm really happy for you," before she dashed upstairs, not wanting to let any of the trio see the tears in her eyes.

* * *

Please leave a **review** and if you haven't already, please check out my newest fic '_Don't Look Back'  
_:) xx


	22. Let The Rain Fall

Bet you didn't expect to see me again so soon, huh? Haha.  
Very quick update, I know, but I was off school on Wednesday and apparently illness spurred on my POS writers block!  
Anyway, thanks for all the reviews so far and please enjoy chapter 22 :)

* * *

**LET THE RAIN FALL**

* * *

It had been just over a week since Eve stormed out of the newspaper after her dad subtly rumbled her lies but she knew that it was time to go back, even if it was to quit officially. It hadn't taken long for the truth to dawn on Eve that perhaps leaving in the middle of a meeting with her boss wasn't the smartest idea – especially if she wanted references for future jobs.

So with her tail in-between her legs, Eve returned to the Miami Herald offices, ready to offer up an apology and maybe even an explanation for her actions if necessary. The brunette approached the front desk and was greeted by Frederick's assistant whose name she was still struggling to remember.

"Lea, haven't seen you in awhile." Her tone of voice sounded sarcastic – maybe Frederick told her about Eve leaving the meeting and never returning. The receptionist continued cattily, "Wait, is it Lea? Mia? Gia? Tia? I can't remember, I never really got the full story from Frederick–"

"Maybe that's because your photocopying skills are dreadful and therefore you don't deserve to hear office gossip." Eve stood with her arms folded impatiently, not in the mood to have someone sit behind a desk making fun of her. "Is he around? I need to talk to him."

"He's out on an assignment." She replied coldly. "And he won't be back until the end of the day so I don't see any point of you hanging around. Come back another day, preferably one when I'm not working."

"Hopefully lightening won't strike twice." Eve rolled her eyes before turning around to make her way out of the offices. The sun was bright so she covered her eyes with the aviators that were balanced on top of her head and just as she was about to leave, she heard someone calling after her.

"Lea! What's going on?" The brunette turned around and saw that Maria was jogging towards her. When she reached her, she smiled warmly. "I haven't seen you in...well, ages! Part of that may be due to me coming down with a pretty gross case of the flu but you haven't been into the paper in like, a week. What's up?"

"I'm not working at the paper anymore." Eve replied bluntly, beginning to walk away again.

"Wait!" Maria pursued her. "Frederick didn't say you were quitting."

"I haven't officially quit yet but I'm going to. I guess you and Mickie are pleased with that, right? What with Mickie trying to steal my boyfriend and apparently not doing to bad a job at getting you involved in taking away my internship as well."

"Lea, I'm confused–"

"Don't act like an idiot, Maria, you _know_ that isn't my name! I'm Eve freakin' Torres!" She turned around to yell in the redhead's face, feeling a little bad as she saw Maria cower away at Eve's anger.

Maria knew that Mickie had some sort of vendetta against Eve but she liked Eve and thought they were friends. The possibility that the brunette actually thought she was plotting against her was unbelievable for her. It took a couple of extra seconds for her to realise what Eve had just said. "Hang on. Your last name is Torres? Does that mean–?"

Eve nodded. "I'm Frederick's daughter. That's why I came to Miami."

"Oh my God, does he know?"

"No...yes...I don't know if he does or not, after what you and Mickie did. We haven't spoken properly but he knows something is going on." She folded her arms across her chest stubbornly. "Are you happy?"

"What Mickie and I did?" Maria was definitely in the dark." "I don't know the full details of what Mickie's been doing but I can tell you that I had nothing to do with it. Le...Eve, all I did was tell her about the new intern, Ted's girlfriend _Lea_. She said your name was Eve, I assumed she misheard you and we moved on from it. I was never involved in any 'scheming' and I doubt Mickie was either, she's been my best friend for years and she's not like that."

_Not that you know of. _"Well, how come she's been hanging out with my boyfriend and she went to the paper and told Frederick that I was lying about my name?" Eve didn't blame Maria anymore but she was still fuming at Mickie. "You may be a nice person, Maria, but your best friend isn't."

* * *

"Right, look at that guy down there on the beach." Kaitlyn and Dolph sat on the edge of the boardwalk, their legs dangling metres above the golden sand as they looked across the sea. "The really hench guy talking to that group of girls? You can't honestly tell me that's not Ronnie from Jersey Shore. Look at him!"

"Either that or it's the Ronnie doppelganger from season three." The second the words were out of his mouth, Dolph groaned. His love of Jersey Shore had been revealed. "Pretend I didn't say that?"

"I think that might be for the best." Kaitlyn giggled, letting her feet swing below her. "I'm starving. Do you want to go get some lunch?"

Dolph nodded. He stood up on the boardwalk and then helped Kaitlyn to her feet, before holding her hand as the pair strolled back into the shopping area. Watching Kaitlyn out of the corner of his eye, he still found her so hot, as well as being a cool, chilled-out girl. They'd been on a couple of dates and he liked spending time with someone different.

Back in California, despite the fact he and Nikki were never exclusive, Dolph never felt as if he could see anyone else. If he did, everyone would treat him as if he'd done something criminal, something unforgiveable. In a place like Beverly Hills, drama is so magnified that the slightest hiccup can turn into a huge problem. Here in Miami with Kaitlyn, he didn't have to worry about that.

The pair took a seat outside a deli, the sunshine raining down on them. Dolph ordered a turkey sub whilst Kaitlyn had a pasta salad. Their food arrived quickly and they tucked in, chatting as they ate. The waiter came over to top up Kaitlyn's Diet Coke and as he did, she thanked him before turning back to Dolph. "So, senior year's coming up. Have you started looking at any colleges yet?"

"I'm on the swim team and I've actually already got a scholarship offer from Kent State in Ohio. I think my parents would want me to stay in California but honestly, I'm kinda psyched to leave." He admitted.

"Really? I always thought Beverly Hills seemed like...the most awesome place in the world."

"Don't get me wrong, it's great, definitely one of the nicest places you'll find." Dolph felt the need to defend his hometown. "But I've lived there my whole life and I'm starting to feel a little...crowded. I've grown up with the same people in the same place and it just feels like the right time to break out, if you know what I mean."

"Totally." Kaitlyn agreed.

It hit Dolph that this was the first time he was telling anyone this; he'd never spoken so deeply about his plans for the future to someone other than the guidance councillor – and even then, that was just him telling her he wanted to go to Kent State and her telling him that was a wise decision.

"Growing up, it seemed like the greatest place in the world and I never wanted to leave but I've grown up since then. Obviously I still want to keep in touch with all my friends but I don't want to be _that_ guy that spends his whole life sheltered in Beverly Hills. Both of my parents were born and raised there – high school sweethearts that went to college together and went on to get married – and even my brother's stayed in California and goes to UCLA but that's not me."

"I get you completely. I'm an only child so I think my parents worry that if I go away to college, I'll never come back. Back In June I went on a school trip to Detroit and we..."

Kaitlyn continued to talk but Dolph's attention had swapped to the ice-cream shop across the road. Montel, Brie and Nikki were sat on a table outside – much like Dolph and Kaitlyn were – completely unaware that their friend was staring at them. At least, two of three were.

Brie was holding onto her stomach, laughing at something Montel was saying. Nikki was smiling along with them but when she turned around, she turned in Dolph's direction from the other side of the road. Lifting up the red Ray-Bans that covered her eyes, she didn't flinch or show any emotion at all; she just looked straight through him. After a couple of seconds, she put her sunglasses aback on and went back to talking to Brie and Montel, a genuine smile on her face.

The first time she found out about him and Kaitlyn, it appeared to Dolph that Nikki took it hard, despite the front she put on. Now, however, he wondered if perhaps she was genuinely over him.

"I'm boring you, aren't I?"

He turned back to Kaitlyn, who looked concerned. "No, no, that was my fault."

"Twins." She followed Dolph's gaze back to the trio across. "Gorgeous twins."

"See the one in the red sunglasses and white shorts? That's Nikki."

"Your ex?" Kaitlyn looked at Dolph then back at Nikki. In a move that surprised Dolph, she looked intimidated. "Wow, she's...really, really beautiful."

"I hate to do this but do you mind if we get out of here?" She nodded sympathetically in response. Dolph threw some money down on the table and ushered Kaitlyn away quickly.

Dolph told himself to stop acting like an idiot. He was with an amazing girl and yet he couldn't even deal with his ex – if you could even call her that – sitting across the road? It occurred to him that Nikki Bella might be ready to move on but maybe he couldn't deal with her doing that.

* * *

It was completely unintentional that it had reached midday and Kelly was still fast asleep. The only thing that woke the blonde from her deep slumber was her phone buzzing as it received a text. She rolled onto her side sleepily and picked it up.

'_Empty house for the next 2 days – parents away for work. Come over 2nite?'_

Kelly didn't reply to the text straight away. Since she'd left Randy's the other week, she'd really been enjoying just spending time with her friends again and having them around her for support, especially considering the reunion of Alicia and Kofi, who'd been pretty much inseparable since their return from Baltimore.

To say Kelly was unhappy about it would be putting it lightly; she was livid. She was livid with them for being so insensitive by getting back together but she was even more livid with herself for being so hypocritical, considering she was the one that cheated on Kofi. She had no right to be angry with him yet here she was, furious at what the pair was doing. It was fortunate for her that she had girls like Tiffany, Rosa and even Maryse that had been completely supportive of her.

Not wanting Randy to be her first priority, the blonde managed to roll out of bed and pull open the curtains, squinting at the brightness that flooded into the room. Kelly felt a rumble in her stomach and decided that breakfast was definitely in order so she made her way down to the kitchen. As she entered the room and saw Kofi sat at the counter, she wished she'd stayed in bed.

"Good morning." Kofi said quietly, politely taking out his iPod headphones. "Or should I say afternoon."

Stood in front of Kofi, Kelly felt oddly exposed. Wearing just a pair of tiny pyjama shorts and a shrunken t-shirt, it didn't even occur to her that her ex had seen her completely naked before and yet now she felt self-conscious. Their eyes met across the kitchen and as casually as possible, the blonde walked over to the cupboards and pulled out a box of cereal. Since Kelly found out about Kofi and Alicia, she'd done her very best to avoid both of them and until now, she'd done a surprisingly good job.

"Got any plans for the day?" He asked.

Why was he being so nice to her? Last time they'd properly spoken, he was saying he probably wouldn't be able to forgive her for what she did and here he was, speaking to her as if they were friends again. She knew that she should've been grateful he wasn't giving her the silent treatment but this was odd. "Not yet. I might just go down to the beach, get some rays. Where's Alicia?"

"She and Rosa went to the gym." He replied. When they were together, he never contemplated how awkwardly things would end between them and how there'd be so much unresolved tension. Then again, he never contemplated that she'd cheat on him. "I should probably apologize for what happened the other week...you walking in on me and Alicia."

"Kofi, you have nothing to apologize for–"

"If the roles were reversed, I wouldn't have wanted to have found out that way. To be honest, if the roles were reversed I wouldn't have wanted you to move on quite so quickly either."

"It was your choice to move on." She said softly, sitting down opposite him with her bowl of cereal.

"I don't regret that choice, I just regret the way you found out. Especially considering..."

"Considering what?" She looked up from her bowl with wide eyes despite the fact she knew exactly what he was referring to. "You think I'm still...?" Her voice trailed away but her mouth hung open. "No, no, no." It was a complete lie, of course, but she wasn't going to admit that.

"Good." He nodded. "So are you seeing Randy?"

"Yes." Was that the answer he wanted to hear? Was it even an answer? Could that be classed as what Kelly and Randy had going on? "Well...I don't know. Actually, I'm going over to see him tonight."When she confirmed it, Kofi didn't look as pleased. Perhaps it wasn't the answer he wanted to hear. "I don't know what's going on between us, or if anything will, but I guess I'm just...moving on."

"As long as you're happy."

She was as far from it as she could be. "You know, I think I'm gonna take this upstairs and start getting ready." She grabbed her cereal bowl and left the room before Kofi could respond. It wasn't like she expected things to be brilliant between them but that wasn't what she had in mind.

* * *

Maryse wasn't going to admit it aloud but she found herself surprised at how much she enjoyed spending time with Cody.

They hadn't spent a lot of time together in the past so it never occurred to her that he was someone worth hanging out with but the more time they were together, she found herself becoming more fond of him and not just because of what went on between the sheets.

Throughout the summer, it had been Maryse's goal not to get involved in a relationship and she continued to stick by that. Cody Rhodes may have been the full package, not to mention one of the most genuine guys she'd ever met, but she'd refused to let herself fall for him. They were friends with benefits and it was a deal that suited them both just fine.

What Maryse liked most of all about Cody was how complimentary he was of her – one day, he'd make a girl very happy. As the blonde strutted down the stairs in a monochrome babydoll dress and black heels, Cody let out a low whistle. "She shoots and she scores." Once Maryse was down the stairs, he walked up to her and briefly kissed her. "Very sexy."

"Yeah, you're a lucky boy having a lady like me on your arm." The pair were going to hit the clubs for the night, although as both decided, it wasn't a date. Just two friends going out and having fun.

They still wanted to keep the rendezvous a secret from the rest of their friends. The 'friends with benefits' thing could easily be misconstrued and that was the last thing either of them wanted. If everyone discovered what was going on, labels would be thrown around.

"Looks like it might rain tonight." Maryse walked over to the window and looked outside, watching as the grey clouds formed in the evening sky. "First rain of the summer."

"A storm's brewing." Cody agreed, following her over to the window, standing close behind her.

When the blonde turned around, a wry smile on her face, he looked down on her with a grin of his own, stealing a kiss from her glossy pink lips. Without any words, she challenged him with an arched eyebrow, leading him to lean over and capture her lips once more. Their bodies pressed up against the wall as Maryse pushed herself up to wrap her legs around his waist.

They were only kissing at this point but whenever they'd had sex, Maryse had been surprised at how good Cody was at everything, considering he was a virgin before her. So good in fact that she was considering scraping the night out for a not-so-quiet night in. Just as she felt Cody's hands slide under her dress, the sound of a door slamming caught them both off guard. "Did you hear that?" Cody asked as Maryse drew her lips away from his.

"Yeah, it's just someone moving around upstairs." She got back onto her feet and slipped on a black cropped blazer that was draped over the back of one of the chairs in the living room. "Come on, we should get going." She grabbed Cody's hand and pulled him out of the front door and into the cab that was waiting for them.

It was only when the door had closed that Mike came back to the top of the stairs, the spot he'd been stood in when he'd seen Maryse and Cody kissing and the spot he'd been stood in when he'd wondered if he needed his eyes checked.

* * *

"_Good night. I'll be seeing you." _

Throughout the final scenes, Jack had stayed quiet but as the opening credits of _The Notebook _flashed up, he looked to his right and saw Tiffany with tears falling down her cheeks. She'd spent the whole day talking about how sad this movie was and yeah, it was sad but he wasn't crying over it. He chuckled, leaning over to wipe a couple of the tears off her cheeks.

"How are you not crying?" She laughed lightly. "That ending is heartbreaking."

"Well, it's not really, is it?" He reasoned with a shrug. "Technically it's a good thing because one will never have to live without the other. Surely it's a happy ending."

Tiffany looked at Jack in utter disbelief before looking up at the clock on the wall. It was exactly midnight and the sky was black through the window in the living room. One thing Tiffany hadn't noticed until now was the rain that was thrashing down outside.

It never rained in Beverly Hills and it never rained in Miami so to see the rain dripping onto the sand outside was almost crazy for Jack and Tiffany to watch. Tiffany slid out from under the duvet that covered her and Jack and walked over to the back door, pushing it open and standing outside, letting the rain drench her.

"What're you doing?" Jack ran over to the patio door, standing inside and watching as Tiffany allowed herself to soak.

"I love the rain!" She laughed. It was so childlike and immature but Jack found it utterly endearing, watching from a distance as her bare feet tap-danced in and out of the puddles that formed on the patio. She ran over to him and dragged him outside into the rain.

"What're you doing?" He shouted but he couldn't help but laugh. It was surprisingly nice; after such a hot summer, the feeling of cold rain on his skin was so refreshing.

He let Tiffany grab his hand and pull him down onto the beach, the squelching sand slipping beneath their toes as neither of them had shoes on. "I love the rain!" She yelled again. The thin summer dress she was wearing was sticking to her skin and her hair was forming rain-soaked chunks but the beaming smile on her face was all Jack could focus on.

"Why didn't you write me?" Quoting _The Notebook _word for word, Tiffany yelled at Jack. "Why? It wasn't over for me. I waited for you for seven years. But now it's too late."

Jack couldn't keep the grin and neither could Tiffany. As cheesy and clichéd as it sounded, to Jack, it felt as if they were in the movie. The pouring rain, the sea lapping at their feet; it was ridiculous but romantic. She shot him a look that said 'Come on, you know the next line' so he replied "I wrote you 365 letters. I wrote you every day for a year."

"You wrote me?"

"Yes!" The move Jack was about to make would either pay off or go disastrously wrong. His heart was pounding underneath his shirt as he walked over to Tiffany but he was buzzing. "It wasn't over," He saw the look on Tiffany's face; it was cautious, as if she knew what he was about to do. "It still isn't over." Taking Tiffany's face in his hands, he kissed her on the lips.

This was what Jack had wanted for so long and now it was finally here, he wasn't going to waste it. It was a kiss that was long overdue and neither of them resisting, sinking into each other. Jack's hands stuck to Tiffany's damp waist and her arms wrapped around his neck, deepening the kiss. Jack could taste every inch of Tiffany, smell the rain on her skin and he heard her sigh every time he kissed her a little deeper.

It was the perfect kiss because he was in love with the perfect girl.

"No," Tiffany's hands had been rested against Jack's pecs but she pushed him away, running a hand through her wet tendrils of hair. "No, that shouldn't have happened."

"But Tiff–"

"That shouldn't have happened! We got caught up in the moment and it can't happen again!"

"I love you Tiff, don't say that–"

"Take that back!" She backed away from him, heading back towards the house. "Don't say stuff you don't mean." Before Jack could even tell her that he was being truthful, she was running back towards the house, leaving Jack stood on the sand realising his big romantic gesture hadn't played out quite like the movie.

* * *

The moment you'd all been waiting for...and I ruined it :) Damn, I love playing evil.  
Please leave a **review**! x


	23. A Little More Conversation

Thank you for all the reviews so far :) Here's chapter 23...

* * *

**A LITTLE MORE CONVERSATION**

* * *

"...and yeah, maybe I don't have any right to judge but it's not like I have you over at the house every day, flaunting what we have. How is that fair? Is it, I dunno, revenge or something?"

Listening to Kelly rant about Kofi and Alicia (whoever they were), Randy buried his head under the pillow, letting out an audible groan.

The pretty blonde noticed his reaction and removed the pillow so she could look at his handsome face. "Oh my God, I'm boring you. I'm so stupid, of course you don't care about Kofi and Alicia–"

"No, wait a second." Randy took one of her hands, stopping her from getting out of bed and pulling her back down. He realised his reaction had been insensitive and he instantly felt bad. "I'm sorry, that was rude of me."

"I don't blame you, I never stop talking about them–"

"That's true." He laughed. "You shouldn't be worried about what they're doing – Kofi's seeing someone else and so are you. What you guys had was probably great but maybe it's time to leave it in the past and move on."

"I have moved on. I just need to find some way to show Kofi that!" Kelly stayed quiet for a few moments as if thinking hard. A couple of seconds later, her head snapped up. "The four of us should hang out!"

"What?"

"Me, you, Alicia and Kofi. We should go on a double date. Oh and we could have it here because your parents are away. I'll cook us all some dinner and we can–"

"Whoa Kelly, this seems a little...rash. Don't you think a double date would be a little awkward? I've never even met Kofi or Alicia–"

"–and that's why a double date would be so much fun! I love double dates – Kofi and I used to go out with Ted and Eve all the time – Oh, maybe we could invite Ted and Eve too? No, too many cooks spoil the broth, right?" She laughed, yapping away. "Just the four of us. We could all hang out, have a few drinks, like I said I'll cook, it'll be great." Kelly laced her arms around Randy's neck and smiled seductively. "Come on babe, I'll make it worth your while."

"I didn't know that your cooking was _that_ good. Or are you going to pay me?"

"I wasn't talking about either of those." The blonde pushed Randy down on the bed, straddling his waist and winking at him. "Catch my drift?"

"Loud and clear."

"Great, I'll call Kofi and Alicia!"

As she jumped out of bed and began dialling her ex-boyfriend's number, Randy rubbed his temples, already feeling a headache coming on; whatever happened on this double date, he could tell it was going to be stressful for everyone. This had bad idea written all over it.

* * *

"Are you kidding me?" Brie flicked through the list of baby names Montel had handed to her. She shifted over so he could sit down on the couch and once he was sat, she lay down, her head rested on his lap. Being pregnant meant most of the time, Brie was happiest on her back. "This is a joke, right? Firstly, you know there's a fifty percent chance we'll have a girl? These are all boys names. Secondly, LeBron, Shaquille, Koby...are you seeing a pattern?"

"If it's a girl, we can call her Shaquilla."

"No, we can't."

Montel picked up Brie's list. "Okay, so I can't have those names but that means you can't have Mariah, Beyonce or...Lady Gaga."

"That last one was a joke." She pointed out, snatching back her list. "Although I like the idea of naming our kid after someone we care about or admire."

"And I care about Shaq!" She shot her boyfriend a death stare. "Fine, what about your parents?"

Brie wrinkled her nose, her own idea backfiring at she thought of her own mother and father. "What about yours?"

"My mom's called Diana and my dad's called Alvin. Gotta say, Diana reminds me too much of Diana Ross but I could deal with Alvin. Although it sounds a little...old-fashioned."

"Baby Alvin? Baby Ali?"

"Like the boxer! That's two people I love; my dad and Mohammed Ali!" Montel laughed. He joked but there was something about Ali that struck a chord with both of them. "You know what though? I like Ali."

"Actually, I like Ali too. And it works for whatever the gender; Ali for a boy, Ally for a girl."

"Hey kid," Montel leant over to Brie's stomach. "How'd you like the name Ali?" When he looked back at his girlfriend, he quickly added "Although if you do decide you like Shaquilla, that's something I'll happily discuss."

* * *

There were lots of things that didn't live up to Maryse's standards and the rain that had hammered down over Miami was definitely one of them. If she knew her trip would end up like this, she'd have looked elsewhere for vacation – although Miami would never be as bad as her 2008 two week vacation to Barbados during monsoon season. The trip was cut short and she ended up returning to sunny Beverly Hills after just three days.

She hated how the rain messed up her hair, how it meant she couldn't wear open toed shoes and how when it rained, she couldn't tan. Being a California girl brought up in the sun, Maryse just didn't know what to do with herself in this weather. So the blonde was sat in her bedroom, still in her bathrobe whilst painting her toenails a pretty shade of pink. Cody had gone out with Ted and she hadn't ventured outside her room to see if anyone else wanted to do something.

That's why she breathed a sigh of relief at Mike knocking on the door and poking his head inside. "Can I come in?"

"Of course." She shuffled over on the bed so he could sit next to her. She lay down with a sigh and Mike did his best to look away as her bathrobe slid open and one of her long, tanned legs came out. "I hate this weather! Can we go out somewhere and do something? Preferably that doesn't involve me getting my hair wet?"

Pretty much everything they'd done since arriving in Miami had involved being outside so their options were limited. "We could go bowling?"

"Ugly shoes and the possibility of chipping this new nail polish? I think not."

"Can't we just chill here then?" Mike lay down next to Maryse, turning his head to look at her.

"Maybe." She held her drying nails in the air.

"So what's Cody doing today?"

Mike spoke so casually and Maryse tried to sound just as nonchalant. "How should I know?"

"Because I saw you guys making out the other day and I know there's something going on between the two of you." She didn't respond to his statement, instead continued to examine her freshly painted nails. "Can I just ask you one thing? Why Cody?"

"Why not?" She shrugged. "Cody's actually a great guy and because he hasn't been our friend for very long, none of us take him seriously. Yeah, he can be a bit of a nerd but he's handsome and he's been nothing but a gentleman to me. All the guys I go out with seem nice at first but turn out to be douches so maybe Cody will be different. Plus neither of us want anything serious so there's no harm in us...spending some time together."

In Mike's eyes, Maryse was saying one thing with her words but another with her face. Her eyes had gone all soft and bright and there was a hazy smile on her face, the kind she got when she first started dating jack whenever she talked about him. She was much calmer than she usually was, more relaxed.

"Do you _like_ Cody?"

"Define _like_." That settled it for Mike; Maryse had unintentionally fallen for Cody Rhodes.

* * *

Jack's parents had been absent for most of his childhood, being business types that travelled overseas a lot so he'd been mostly raised by the family's house keeper Jovita. There were many things she taught him but the most important being the rule of good present buying when it came to pleasing women. It had never failed when he was with Maryse because according to Jovita, chocolates meant I love you and flowers meant I'm sorry.

When deciding what to get Tiffany, Jack found himself in turmoil. He loved her so surely chocolates were the way forward. After what had happened between them, however, he didn't want to scare her off. On the other hand, he wasn't sorry for what occurred; he was glad it happened.

It seemed that Tiffany didn't feel the same way. Everytime she saw Jack, she turned in the opposite direction, completely avoiding him. Jack was convinced she was simply denying her feelings so with a bouquet of white roses in hand, he found her with her head buried in a book as she sat on the loveseat that sat under the sheltered front porch, shielding her from the rain that hadn't stopped since the other night.

"These are for you." Jack sat down next to her, leaving a gap in between them where he put the roses.

Tiffany looked up from her paperback and sighed. "Is this an apology?"

"I don't know, is an apology what you're looking for?"

"We need to forget about what happened the other night–"

"That doesn't answer my question." He reminded her.

"The last thing I want is for you to start apologising and buying me presents." She picked up the bouquet and sighed. "They're beautiful, really they are, but you shouldn't have bought me them."

"You're right, I shouldn't have. I'm not sorry about what happened the other night because I think it was long overdue. There's something between us and that kiss wouldn't have happened if that weren't the case–"

"Jack, that kiss was a mistake!" She hissed, worried people in the house could hear them.

"You keep saying that but you can't tell me why–"

"Because you and I are completely different people. Because I don't just go around kissing guys in the rain. Because you were a jerk to one of my best friends last year and there's no reason why you wouldn't be any different with me. How many more reasons do you want?" She picked up her book again, the only sound between them being that of the rain. "If you wouldn't mind, I'd like you to leave me alone now."

Jack didn't move a muscle.

"Fine, I'll go then." She gathered up her stuff and went inside, slamming the door behind her.

* * *

Although Eve hadn't been to any of her father's classes in a while, she knew he ended up 9:00pm sharp and left at 9:15pm after leaving time to listen to people's queries and pack away all his stuff. That's why one minute before, she was knocking on the door of his classroom at the community centre.

Frederick, who was in the middle of putting his laptop into his rucksack, looked up at the teenager with a cautious smile. "I was wondering if I'd see you again."

"I didn't think I'd be welcome at the paper so I decided it'd be better to find you here." She laughed nervously, shuffling from foot-to-foot in the doorway. "Do you have time to talk?"

"I was about to head home but I could give you a ride too, if you want. We can talk then." In response, she nodded and neither of them said anything as Frederick gathered up his stuff and they walked out of the community centre together and over to his car which was parked on the side of the road. It was only when they were inside the car and already driving that he spoke up again, saying "They don't know how long this rain will last – could be a couple of days–"

"My name isn't Lea." Eve couldn't bear to make small talk with him. It was time for the truth to come out, whether it be received well or not.

"I sort of gathered that." Frederick replied softly, keeping his eyes on the road as Eve briefly directed him to the beach house. "So why did you lie about your name?"

"If you knew who I really was, you might not have wanted anything to do with me. I just wanted to find out who you were, what you were like–"

"Wait, you wanted to get to know _me_? I thought you were interested in journalism–"

"I was...I mean, I am." She could feel herself getting flustered. "But it was _you_ that made me interested in it–"

"Listen, I think I know what this is about. It's very sweet of you but you're just too young for me and–"

"What? No, you've got it all wrong!"

"You've got nothing to be embarrassed about, it's fine–"

"I've got nothing to be embarrassed about because that's not why I came to find you!" She exclaimed angrily, raising her voice the only way to make him shut up.

Frederick briefly turned to her before the light turned green. "Well what is it about? Who are you?"

"I'm Eve Marie Torres."

It was one of those horrible moments where a hush fell between them and everything just froze. Traffic appeared to be speeding past but the car seemed to slow down and neither Frederick nor Eve could say anything. After what seemed like an eternity, he managed to stutter "As in, Carol's daughter?"

"As in _your_ daughter." She commented. "My mom never told me much about you, only that you cleared off when I was just a couple of months old. A few months ago, I found my birth certificate with your name on it and I dunno why but seeing that just got to me. Before that, I didn't care but that changed things and it didn't matter that you walked out and obviously didn't love me...I just wanted to know more about you.

"I couldn't tell you who I really was though, could I? I thought if you knew, you wouldn't want anything to do with me before you even knew anything about me. I thought if you got to know me as someone else, you'd grow to like me. I was going to tell you the truth eventually but it had to be the right moment. The last thing I wanted was for you to find out the way you did."

The car pulled up outside the beach house, silence falling again as the engine turned off.

"I didn't expect some beautiful reunion between us but can you say something?"

Frederick sighed. "When I left you and your mother years ago, it was because it became clear in those first couple of months that I wasn't cut out to be a parent. You should feel this attachment to your child; this unconditional love and as harsh as it sounds, I just didn't. I was selfish and unorganised and I just didn't care like a parent should. Seventeen years later and I'm still all those things. I'm flattered you want to know me but I can't be the parent you want me to be. If I tried to make amends, my heart wouldn't be in it and that's not fair on you, your mom or me."

Now it was Eve's turn to be stunned. Like she said, she hadn't expected some loving reunion where they ran into each other's arms but complete rejection wasn't on her mind either.

"From what I've seen of you since you came to Miami, you're a smart, confident, capable girl that's done well without her biological father in her life. This is for the best, please, Eve, don't be upset–"

"Don't be upset?" She whispered, getting out of the car and standing in the rain. "You're right. It wouldn't be fair of you to make amends because you don't have a decent bone in your body. I thought maybe if you met me, you'd feel different but I guess I'm not enough to change your mind."

* * *

I'm gonna guess that this fic will have thirty something chapters in total so I hope you stay interested until the end!  
Please **review** :) xx


	24. Growing Up To Do

Thank you to everyone that's reviewed...here's chapter 24 :)

* * *

**GROWING UP TO DO**

* * *

It took all of Eve's energy to roll out of bed the next morning. The rain had stopped and the storm that had taken over the past couple of days had ended. As she opened up the curtains and was greeted by bright sunshine and blue skies, a faint smile crossed Eve's lips. It was as if the bad weather had never even happened.

Her smile faded, however, as soon as she remembered the previous night and the complete rejection her father had delved out. The brunette covered her face with her hands and cringed, despite no-one else being in the room.

Was she completely stupid to have opened up to him like that? She was beginning to think that most of the ideas she'd come up with since arriving in Miami were stupid. Tracking Frederick down in the first place was probably a bad idea but too often, Eve thought with her heart and not her head.

Another person that thought she was stupid was her mom. Once her father dropped her off the previous night and she stormed back into the house, no-one was home so Eve called Carol Torres in floods of tears as she revealed all to her stunned mother, who had no idea any of this was going on. Of course, she was comforting to her distraught daughter but it was obvious that she thought Eve had made a mistake.

"Good morning."

Eve didn't turn around, even when she heard Ted speaking to her from the doorway of their bedroom. Things were still frosty between the pair but at that point in time, Eve was worried about much more than Ted. "Good morning." She whispered in response, feeling her breath catching in her throat as she spoke. She didn't want Ted to see her crying yet as soon as the words were out, she wanted to burst into tears.

"Eve, are you okay?" He walked up behind his girlfriend, resting a hand against her arm.

When she turned around to look at him, her eyes were moist with tears and her lips trembling. "I've screwed everything up." She sobbed. "It's a complete mess and I don't know how to get it back to normal."

In the most genuine moment the pair had shared in a long time, Ted pulled Eve in and held her tightly, stroking her hair and feeling relieved to have his girlfriend back in his arms after way too much tension between them. "It's never irreparable, not with us." He told her, pulling away and kissing the top of her forehead.

"We're just the tip of the iceberg." Eve commented quietly, resting her head against Ted's shoulder.

"What's going on?" Taking one of his girlfriend's hands, he pulled her over to the edge of the bed where they sat next to each other. "I know something's been bothering you – let me in, Eve."

"You're not gonna believe it." She told him with a small smile. "You're gonna think I'm insane–"

"I already do and that's one of the many reasons I fell in love with you. What's happened?"

So Eve told Ted everything there was to know; why she originally wanted to come to Miami, how she found her father, her internship at the paper, why she'd used to a fake name, why she left the paper, her meeting with him the previous night and how embarrassed she now was, not to mention how the tension between her and Ted had made things ten times more stressful.

Being able to talk to him again felt so good. He'd always been an amazing listener, not interrupting but asking questions at the right moments. Most importantly, he actually _looked_ interested. The whole time, he held her hand in his and she couldn't describe how nice it was to just have him there again. The Mickie issues could wait for a little while because for now, he was there.

"I can't believe you kept all that to yourself." Ted said when Eve was finally finished. "If you'd have told me straight away, I could've–"

"I didn't want anyone to know because if he rejected me – like he has – then everyone would know that it happened. Telling everyone my own father didn't want anything to do with me...I can't go through with that. It was easier to just keep it to myself and then tell people if it worked out. But it didn't."

"I just hate thinking that you went through it all alone. Remember spring homecoming? I told you I wanted to be the one you shared your problems with; when I started dating Eve Torres, I signed up for all this drama and you know why I go through it? Because I love you." He kissed her softly, his lips barely grazing hers. "No more secrets, okay?"

"No more secrets." She agreed, letting him take her in his arms once more.

In the middle of their embrace, there was a knock on the door and Tiffany let herself in. As soon as she saw the couple together, she knew her timing wasn't right and she apologized. "Sorry, I'll come back later."

The blonde exited the bedroom and went back into the hallway, leaning back against the wall with a heavy sigh. She really needed to talk to Eve – her guilt over the kiss with Jack was only growing and if she didn't tell her friend soon enough, it would continue to eat away at her. It was bound to come out eventually and it was better that it came from her lips and not Jack's.

"Tiff!" Speak of the devil and he shall appear, she thought, as Jack's bedroom door opened and he came out into the hall, greeting her with a smile. She, on the other hand, wasn't as welcoming as she started down the stairs, not ready to speak to him yet. "So this is how it's gonna be now?" He said, following her. His smile faded when they came face-to-face in the living room. "You're just gonna ignore me? Act like nothing ever happened between us? Really mature."

"Oh you're gonna start calling me immature?"

"Yeah. If you were this grown-up you claim to be, you'd stop hiding away from how you feel and admit that you like me because it's so obvious that you do. And if I honestly believed that this thing between us was completely one-sided, I'd have given up by now. I know you feel what I feel so stop acting like I'm this bad guy –"

Stressed, the pretty blonde ran her hands through her hair. "I just need a little time."

"I'm giving you nothing but time, Tiff, and I don't know how much more of it I can give you before I start to wonder what it is you really want from me. I want you but...you're making this too much."

"Jack, wait–"

"Don't!" When he felt her grab at his arm, he brushed her off, the first time he'd ever rejected her touch. "I'm getting bored of putting myself out there for you. Come find me when you're ready to stop screwing me about." As Tiffany watched Jack disappear out the front door, she started to wonder whether his feelings were just as blurred as her own. Had he been hurting as much as her?

"I knew it."

Emotions were pushed from Tiffany's mind as she turned around and saw Rosa stood in the kitchen doorway, a satisfied smirk on her face. "How much of that did you hear?" Tiffany asked worriedly.

"Enough to know that you and I are going to talk about this."

"Not right now, Rosa. Please, another time." Tiffany placed herself down on one of the couch arms, completely overwhelmed by what had just transpired.

"Fine. Tomorrow, you and I are going shopping and afterwards, you are going to tell me every detail, none spared."

* * *

"Room for one more?" Sat on the front porch, Mike looked up to see Cody coming out of the front door looking a little worse for wear. Mike put down his iPod and cell phone and shuffled up so his friend could sit down. "Where is everyone?"

"Most people are still in bed, I think. Heard some commotion downstairs earlier on but I was in the shower so I didn't go see what was going on." He signalled at the cup of coffee Cody was holding and Ray-Bans covering his eyes. "Late night?"

"You could say that." He emitted a small laugh from the back of his throat, sipping at his coffee.

"Entertaining a lady?"

"Once again, you could say that." Another nervous chuckle escaped Cody.

"Yeah, I imagine fucking Maryse would really take it out of you." The look on Cody's face brought a grin to Mike's face, easing the tension that was about to freeze over between the two. "I saw you guys the other day and Maryse told me about the two of you when I confronted her."

"Right." This surprised Cody; Maryse seemed keen to keep their relationship a secret.

"So...is it serious between you guys?" His conversation with her the previous day hadn't been helpful; the blonde said that it wasn't serious but she seemed to be hiding more than she was letting on and he wanted to hear the honest truth from a male perspective.

"I don't know." He shrugged, taking a large gulp of coffee to wake him up. "There's something there between us but I don't want anything serious and she doesn't either. That's why I didn't think we were telling anyone – because there wasn't really a lot to tell."

"I've been friends with Maryse a lot longer than you have and believe me, she may say she's not looking for anything serious but she's always got something lined up and she's always thinking ahead. She's a determined woman. All that stuff with Wade earlier this summer, you think she didn't have plans for him?"

"You know her inside out, don't you?"

"I know Maryse Ouellet better than Maryse Ouellet knows herself." He spoke about Maryse with such knowledge and understanding, a smile crossing his lips as he spoke about the object of his desires. "Oh, and the Queen Bitch thing? It's a total act. Underneath, she's soft and anyone would be lucky to be with her."

"Dude, I didn't know you were in love with Maryse."

"What?" Mike laughed a little too loudly. "Me and Maryse? You're insane."

"No I'm not." Cody may not have been the sharpest tool in the box but what Mike had said stared him directly in the face. It was so blindingly obvious. "How has no-one noticed it yet? Come to think of it, you guys have always been close but I just assumed you were really good friends. I had no idea you _liked_ her–"

"I haven't always _liked_ her." Mike cut him off sharply. "It all started a couple of months after she and Jack split up. I dunno what happened...one minute she's my best friend, the next minute I'm starting to see her in a different way–"

"Because she wasn't dating your best friend anymore so you could go after her?"

"I guess." He lowered his voice, embarrassed about what he was going to say – and secretly wondering why he was telling Cody this, of all people. "I've never had any problem getting girls before, it's like second nature to me, but Maryse? I don't think she sees me that way. I'm always going to be her friend."

If Cody had heard this about a year ago, he'd have laughed in Mike's face. He always thought the ladies man of Beverly Hills was a douche bag and to see him like this would've cracked Cody up. Now they were friends, however, it just surprised him. He had never seen this side of Mike before and without wanting to sound like a complete pansy, he actually preferred this side of him; it was more honest.

"You need to tell Maryse how you feel."

"No, I don't. She's my friend and if she finds out, I don't even know if she'll want that. Besides, have you forgotten that you're dating her?"

"I think your feelings for Maryse lie a lot deeper than mine do. I'd be willing to sacrifice what I had with her if it meant something would happen between you two. Besides, I think if I stay with Maryse any longer, she'll eat me alive whereas you two? I can't think of two people better suited...You're perfect for each other."

"Dude, you can't do that–"

"Come on Miz, can you really see a future between me and Maryse? The two of you...it makes sense, doesn't it? It works. Problem is, we both know nothing will happen between the two of you if I'm in the picture."

"You know, you're the first person I've actually told that I like Maryse."

"Really? Not even Jack or Dolph or one of those guys?" As soon as he said it, Cody knew that Mike telling those guys about his 'feelings' wasn't going to happen. "Well, thanks for telling me then. I'm honoured."

"No you're not." Both guys laughed before settling into a comfortable silence as Cody finished up his coffee. "Just one thing – don't tell Maryse about our conversation. I want to be the one to tell her."

"Course not. It should come from your lips not mine."

"And also? If you don't want to break up with her, don't do it just for me–" Cody held up a hand and nodded, not wanting Mike to carry on. No more words were needed, as the two guys exchanged a quick fist bump and Cody went back into the house.

* * *

Although Mickie knew it was wrong, she couldn't help but feel slightly smug as she sat at Eve's old desk at the Miami Herald whilst visiting Maria on her lunch break. The redhead sat at the desk opposite, researching something for her internship, leaving her friend to gloat in silence.

"So did Eve get fired?" Mickie casually slipped into conversation, spinning on the office chair.

"I don't know. Frederick just told me she wasn't going to be working here anymore and that they were going to bring someone else in to replace her." Maria replied absentmindedly, not paying her friend a lot of attention. She decided not to bring up the encounter she'd had with Eve a couple of days before, instead focusing on the computer screen. She also decided not to mention what the former intern had told her about Frederick being her father.

"I guess it serves her right for lying. How did she think she'd get away with it?"

When Maria looked up and saw Mickie, she instantly felt bad for Eve. She pictured the Latina sat there instead, the pair of them giggling over something or passing candy across the desk. Could Eve have been telling the truth when she said Mickie was the one that turned her in?

"Micks," Maria tentatively looked up at her best friend, "You didn't have anything to do with Eve leaving the paper, did you?"

"I may or may not have gone and had a little chat with Frederick about one of his interns lying to him about herself. I just left him to work out the rest for himself – I guess when he had Eve cornered she cracked and told him she wasn't being honest."

The redhead couldn't believe that Mickie could be so insensitive. She'd know Mickie for years and the possibility that she was actually capable of something so devious – yeah, she'd been a bit sneaky with her relationship with Ted but this was in a whole new ballpark. This was a girl that Maria had told everything to, someone she thought she could rely on, how could she have been so wrong about her?

"Do you not feel guilty about it?" Maria asked in disbelief, shaking her head at her friend. "I know you're into Ted but potentially costing Eve her job? Don't you think that's a bit much?"

"I didn't _want_ to do it but...you just gotta do certain things, you know?"

"No, you didn't have to do that. Ted and Eve are happy together so stop trying to get in between them because the only one that's going to end up hurt is you when he realises how scheming and manipulative you're being and realises that you're not worth it."

"Whoa, Ria, stop making me out to bad guy–"

"But you _are_ the bad guy. At least, that's how you're acting in this situation." Maria shrugged sadly, disappointed that _this_ was what their long friendship had come to. "I know we're both going to college in California but I used to think that we wouldn't see as much of each other as we said we would. Now you've shown what you can really be like? Not seeing you that much doesn't seem like such a bad thing."

Mickie stared at her friend in utter disbelief. Normally, Maria was so reserved and sweet so to Mickie, seeing her standing up for what she believed in was such a shock. "I didn't know you felt that way." The brunette whispered, her friend's words affecting her a lot more than she let on.

"I think you should leave now." Maria told Mickie, her eyes flickering over to the door. "I have work to do."

"You're not serious?" Apparently she was, as the redhead's facial expression didn't change. "Okay, I'll go." Maria watched as her friend left and she knew telling her to leave was the right thing, no matter how much it hurt her to do so.

* * *

Being the first to finish his meal, it was Kofi that decided to break the silence that had surrounded the table as soon as the plates touched and food was served. "That was great, Kelly. You've always been a brilliant cook."

"Well, it's a simple recipe really and it didn't take me that long to cook up. Randy's parents have been out of town for a little while so I decided that sooner or later, someone needed to cook him a decent meal." Kelly laughed, turning to her right where her latest beau was sat, enjoying the steak. "It's not too rare, is it?"

"No, it's–"

"Actually, it was a little too well done for my liking." It was Alicia that cut in from the other end of the table, her own plate of food barely touched, partially because she was naturally a fussy eater and partially out of pure rudeness. "Maybe a little pinker next time?"

"I think if it were any pinker it would still have a pulse." Kelly semi-joked, not letting Kofi's girlfriend's comment get to her.

The double date seemed like a good idea but there was still the awkward vibe that everyone other than Kelly predicted there would be. Setting up a double date with your new boyfriend, ex boyfriend and his new girlfriend was a recipe for disaster but the blonde was too busy trying to make everything alright to even notice.

Three out of the four of them were making the effort – in fact, Kelly was thrilled at how well Kofi and Randy seemed to be getting along – but Alicia was being plain stubborn and no-one was confronting her about it, not wanting to break the tension through a fight. Whenever Alicia made a snide comment, Kelly just smiled through it with a joke or light-hearted comment, despite the fact it was making her seethe.

"It was the first time I've done steak though, so I was a little worried it wouldn't turn out the way I wanted." Kelly continued.

"You've made steak before." Kofi said to her from across the table, a smile on his face. "Remember in May when your mom went out of town and you made dinner for me and your little brother? You made those turkey steaks and we couldn't get the smoke alarm to turn off–"

"–so we all went out to McDonalds instead and when we came back ninety minutes later, it was still buzzing." Kelly remembered as the pair of them laughed over the fond memory. "That was hilarious – although they were turkey steaks, not beef, so it's not quite the same."

"Hey, at least the house isn't on fire. I never quite got rid of the loud ringing noise in my ear."

"Shut up!" She rolled her eyes, looking around the table to see that inevitably, she and Kofi were the only ones laughing. Quickly changing the tone, she signalled at everyone's plates. "Are we all finished?" When everyone nodded, she began gathering up the plates.

"Did you see that the Chargers game is on?" Randy asked Kofi.

"I totally forgot about that – do you know the score?"

"They're repeating it now, if you wanna go watch it and if Kelly doesn't mind." He turned to the blonde, who was buzzing in and out of the kitchen with the plates.

"I didn't realise it was the nineteen fifties again and it was up to the little woman to do all the work." She said sarcastically, despite her being happy at Randy and Kofi potentially bonding. "If there's a game on, go ahead and watch it. Maybe you could help me in the kitchen, Leesh?" It was obvious Kofi's girlfriend didn't want to help out but when he shot her a look that suggested she didn't have a choice, she got to her feet and made a start on the empty glasses.

The two girls worked in silence, the main noise coming from the adjacent living room and the quiet sport-related chatter of the guys, whilst Kelly piled plates and cups into the dishwasher and Alicia simply stood by the counter, picking at her nails with a frown on her face.

"I'm glad you guys came tonight." Kelly told Alicia once everything was in the dishwasher. "I think it's really good that we can all...hang out. Really healthy."

"You really think this is healthy?" Alicia jerked her head towards the living room where the guys were. "What are you trying to pull here? Is this some weird way of you having your cake and eating it too?"

"Leesh, I don't know what you're talking about–"

"You and Kofi aren't together anymore. You gave it a shot but it didn't work. Now you're with Randy and I'm with Kofi. There's no reason for the four of us to come together."

"I put this together because I don't want things to be awkward between me, you and Kofi." Kelly explained, keeping her voice down so the guys didn't hear. "Kofi and I may not be together anymore but I don't want there to be any bad blood between us. Yeah, we're with other people and this is my way of showing that what we had was great but we've all moved on and that's okay."

"Really? No bad blood? You cheated on him, for God's sake, of course there's going to be bad blood. And just because you're with someone else, doesn't mean you can't have feelings for an ex. I think you still like Kofi even though you cheated on him and this is your way of convincing yourself you don't because you're with Randy. But you know what? Nothing is going to happen between you and Kofi again. He came back to me because you blew your chance."

"What does that make you? Sloppy seconds?"

"He was with me _first_." Alicia pointed out. "If you don't want there to be bad blood between you and Kofi, sort that out between yourselves. Do something on your own. Why don't you play videogames together like you used to when I was with Kofi? That was really cute." She mocked cooed, as if speaking to a child. "Just make sure whatever you do, you realise that you and Kofi are _finished. _Done. Over."

Kelly watched Alicia with a raised eyebrow, the attitude that she hadn't seen in so long re-emerging from the cheerleader. Perhaps she was naive to think the bitchiness of last year would disappear quite so easily. "You can think what you want, it doesn't matter."

"Whatever, if you don't need me in here, I'm gonna go watch the game with _my_ boyfriend. And with yours, I guess."

With that, Alicia sauntered out of the kitchen. Kelly watched her from the doorway as she sat close to Kofi on the couch, their shoulders rubbing and her staring at him with so much love. She waited it out until the dishwasher was done and she'd put all the plates back in the cupboard before she joined everyone in the living room, pretending nothing had transpired between her and Alicia.

* * *

Please **review**, lovelies :) xx


	25. It Never Ends

Over the past month, this story has _definitely_ been neglected :( When it came to this, I was suffering serious writer's block.  
But it's like my baby and of course, I had to return to it. The block has cleared and once my exams are over, I'm looking forward to getting to work on this.  
Enjoy!

* * *

**IT NEVER ENDS**

* * *

Miami was definitely a nightlife city. Dolph reached that conclusion as Kaitlyn drove him back to the beach house at eight thirty – her parents were coming into town and she didn't think they'd appreciate him being there. After dark, the city was positively buzzing but when the sun came up, the sidewalks were practically empty, only early morning joggers and the occasional family walked past. Other than that, the city was sparse.

"It's a beautiful day, isn't it?" Kaitlyn commented, aviators covering her eyes and her head bobbing to Swedish House Mafia on the radio. "Shame my mom hates the beach so I'll probably be trying to get a tan through my windows."

They chatted until they eventually arrived at the house and she pulled up so he could get out. Leaning over to press a kiss against her lips, he said "Call me when mommy and daddy are on the plane back to Texas?" She chuckled at his comment, waving as he went into the beach house before driving away.

It seemed far too early for anyone in the house to be awake however Dolph could hear movement in the kitchen. "Hello?" He called but didn't receive a response. Running a hand through his blonde hair, he followed the sound of footsteps against the tiled floor and was greeted by Nikki, his ex pulling a water bottle out of the fridge wearing nothing more than a tiny red bikini.

"I didn't realise anyone else was awake." She told him, a hint of bitterness in her voice at the sight of her former flame.

"I just came home. I spent the night with–"

"Katie? No, Kasey? Kayla? Oh, I can't remember her name. Pretty girl though, isn't she?" Suddenly, Nikki tapped the side of her head and clicked her fingers in mock revelation. "Kaitlyn! She's called Kaitlyn, isn't she?" Of course she remembered the girl Dolph went behind her back with but she wasn't through making him feel bad for what he did.

"Yeah, she's called Kaitlyn." He confirmed. He knew she was being a total bitch to her but it was difficult for him to get angry when she looked so damn smoking; did she not realise the effect a red bikini would have on him? Her legs seemed endless and her flat stomach and perky chest were more appealing than they'd ever been. "What're you doing awake, anyway? You're not much of a morning person."

"No, I'm not but the surfers hit the beach early and what can I say, I'm in the mood for a man hunt today." She gave Dolph a little twirl, showing off what she always knew was his favourite part of her body; her ass. "What do you think? Do you think it needs to be a little...smaller? Sexier?"

"No, no, that's sexy enough." He swallowed the large lump in his throat and tried to drag his eyes away from her killer derriere. "Wait, you have something smaller?"

"Have a sweet day Dolph. I know I will." Nikki smirked, slinging her beach bag over her shoulder and slipping her feet into a pair of flip-flops before she went out the back door and down onto the beach. From the window, he watched as a group of surfers turned their attention to the beautiful twin; well, she certainly got what she wanted.

But did Dolph have what he wanted? After all, he hadn't thought of Kaitlyn since he stepped out of her car. In fact, all he could think about was Nikki. Nikki in that red bikini. He took a deep breath and headed up the stairs, deciding he needed a cold shower.

* * *

"I need to talk to you about something."

When Cody turned his head away from one of Maryse's kisses, the French-Canadian knew something was wrong. The pair had been making out on her bed and slowly, she climbed off him and sat to his side, signalling for him to continue. "What's going on?" She asked, fixing her now messy hair.

"I don't think we can do this anymore." Cody's talk with Mike the other day had played heavily on his mind for the past twenty four hours. He wanted to talk to Maryse about it at the right moment but that moment never seemed to appear so he decided he'd just have to get it over with.

It wasn't that Cody wanted to end things with her, he loved her company, not to mention the sex was great, but when there was someone else that cared about her so much more and that person was potentially getting hurt because of him, he knew it couldn't carry on. He didn't need that kind of guilt in his life. Plus, playing Cupid for Maryse and Mike seemed like a pretty fun idea.

"What're you talking about?" She asked. "Is something going on?"

"This is going to sound like I'm making excuses but I can't really tell you." Cody was going to keep to his word; Mike wanted to speak to Maryse himself so he wouldn't give anything away. "Everything will come out very soon but at the moment, I've got to keep my mouth shut."

"Okay, I'm more than a little confused. Are you like...dying? This whole thing is really shady." Maryse didn't like being kept in the dark about anything.

"No, I'm not dying."

"Well, did I do something wrong?"

"No, no, you didn't do anything at all." He reassured her, taking her hands. "You are incredible and the time we've spent together has been so much fun but can you really see us making it back to Beverly Hills?"

"So you're ending things because you don't see a future between us?"

"No!" He was finding this extremely difficult and was going to kill Mike for not letting him say anything. "That's not _why_ things are ending. I'm just saying that...you're the kind of girl that has a plan for everything, right? Can you really see me fitting into that plan? We work in this no-strings environment but you're looking for a future and that's not for _us–_"

"I don't even know if I'm going to ask any more questions because I'm way too confused about what's going on–"

"Someone likes you." The words slipped out because he hated Maryse thinking that he'd rejected her because she'd done something wrong. "I can't tell you who but us being together is hurting that person. They really care about you and he's gonna tell you himself soon enough but for now...you've just gotta trust me when I say that sooner or later, the right thing is going to happen."

Saying nothing else, Cody leaned over to kiss Maryse and left her bedroom, leaving the blonde in a state of confusion as to what had just transpired.

* * *

"So are you gonna tell me what's going on with you and Jack or am I going to have to drag it out of you?" As Rosa and Tiffany bagged a table in the corner of a tapas restaurant on the boardwalk, the Latina of the two raised an eyebrow at her friend, waiting for all the gory details.

Tiffany sighed before taking a sip of her Diet Coke that the waiter had brought over. "It's complicated–"

"Isn't it always? Come on, spill the beans, I want to know everything."

"I don't really know where to begin." Tiffany admitted with a small laugh. "I mean, before Miami I'd _never_ spoken to him and then one morning, we just started talking and from there we build a friendship. We started spending loads of time together and with everyone else so caught up in their own drama, he was someone I could really...rely on. Especially after that stuff with Drew. I thought I could turn to him, you know?"

"What changed?" Rosa asked, narrowing her eyes at the waiter who was coming over to take her order and signalling he return in a couple of minutes.

"I'm not entirely sure. Things between us just started getting...heavier. There was this vibe that neither of us could shake and neither of us acted on until this one night – the night all the rain started. We'd just watched the Notebook together and I saw it was raining so I went outside. We were stood on the beach and it sounds stupid but I jokingly started reciting that scene in the Notebook right before Noah and Allie kissed. Jack went along with it and then... he went in for the kiss."

Rosa sat across the table, clutching her heart with a warm smile on her face. "That is the most romantic thing I think I've ever heard. It's like something out of a Nicholas Sparks novel. Or a Nicholas Sparks novel adapted into a movie."

"Well, it doesn't matter how romantic it was, it shouldn't have happened."

"Why not? It's not like you can–when will you get the hint? Come back in five minutes!" Rosa yelled at the waiter, who scuttled back into the kitchen. "Carry on."

"Because he's...he's Jack Swagger. I'm just a normal girl and he's the captain of the basketball and swim team – he's got everything going for him at school and we live in these separate worlds. Here in Miami, it seems nice and it works but when we get back to Beverly Hills and back to school, we're strangers again. There's that and the fact that when he went out with Eve, he treated her like dirt. I've never had a 'boyfriend' before and I don't want to get hurt like she did."

"But you like him, don't you?"

"No...I mean, yes, I mean...I don't know how I feel. I've got these feelings for him but I don't want them. I feel like if I fall for him, I'm just setting myself up to get hurt."

"Why are you assuming the worst?"

"Because of the past?" Tiffany said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Because of the way he's acted–"

"People can change, Tiff, you know that. Our friends are evidence of that. Who'd have thought that Brie would be the first of us to have a baby? Who'd have thought Jack and Maryse would have ever broken up? A year ago, would you have thought that you'd be sharing a kiss with Jack Swagger? Anything's possible." She paused. "When he kissed you, how did it feel?"

Completely truthful, the blonde said "It was the perfect kiss. When Drew kissed me, it felt nice but when Jack kissed me, it felt...right. Like the most natural thing in the world." Upon seeing the 'I told you so' look on Rosa's face, she took another sip of her drink and groaned. "I don't know what I'm going to do."

"Well before you do anything, you should talk to Eve. She should know what's going on and maybe she'll help you decide where to go from here."

"Maybe."

As the conversation died away, Rosa sighed, looking around impatiently. "Jesus, where did that waiter disappear to? What does a girl have to do to get a little service around here?"

* * *

If there was one thing Kelly didn't like about spending time with Randy, it was how late he could sleep in. The blonde was all for a little laziness but it was almost afternoon and he still hadn't even woken up. Deciding to take matters into her own hands, she grabbed her cell phone from the bedside table and dialled his number, pressing the 'Withhold Number' key as she did so.

"Wha–" He murmured at the sound of his phone ringing, turning over to grab it and answer, only for it to hang up.

"Who was that?" Kelly asked innocently.

"Not sure, it was a withheld number."

"Oh, well, you're awake now." All she wanted to do was talk to him about the previous night, only skipping out the small part concerning her confrontation with Alicia in the kitchen. "Last night was fun, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, it was fine." He muttered, lying back down in bed and closing his eyes.

"And you thought it would be awkward – it totally wasn't! Maybe we could do something together again? I know Alicia wouldn't be keen but there's a basketball game on next week and the three of us could go and watch it–"

"I'm not sure if that's such a good idea, Kelly."

"Why?"

Randy turned over on his side as if trying to get to sleep before saying "When you and Alicia were in the kitchen last night, I heard everything you were saying – that little fight you guys had."

"Oh my God, you and Kofi heard that?"

"Kofi didn't. He was in the bathroom and came back just after the two of you decided to keep your voices down." He replied. "Maybe she was a little rude but Alicia made some good points; the four of us don't need to hang out and that whole night just seemed...forced. It was fake and I don't know if repeating it's a good idea either – for Kofi and Alicia or for us."

"What are you talking about?"

"I really like you, Kelly, but last night was way too intense for me. I don't know where this is going but I'm not looking for anything serious and dinner just felt like some weird, married couple thing. Except it was you and Alicia trying to one-up each other and...I don't know, I don't need to deal with unnecessary Beverly Hills drama."

"You think I'm unnecessary drama?"

He sighed and sat upright, watching as she got out of bed. "I didn't say that–"

"It's what you were implying though, wasn't it?" She tugged on her clothes and grabbed her bag. "I'm sorry Randy, I didn't realise I was such a drama queen."

"Kelly, you're being overdramatic–"

"Well, I'm a drama queen so what did you expect?"

"Now you're just being ridiculous." He commented. "Stop overreacting and get back over here–"

"Okay, so maybe I have a little bit of baggage." She tried to defend her corner. "Yeah, there's some stuff about me that isn't perfect but I try to get through it – that's what last night was, it was me trying to make everything right."

"You don't need to be a martyr. You and Kofi aren't together anymore so you don't need to constantly please him and you and Alicia don't seem like brilliant friends either, so why bother pleasing her? You need to work out what's best for _you_."

Kelly didn't know what she was meant to think or how she was meant to react to what Randy was saying. This whole situation was getting more and more confusing, especially now the guy she considered to be her boyfriend wasn't as serious about her as she thought. "Can I ask you something?" He nodded, sitting on the edge of the bed. "What are we? Does what we have mean _anything_ to you?"

"You're a great girl, Kelly, but I don't want a relationship. We have fun together but it's not going anywhere – I'm joining the army and you're going back to California; it's not like we have a future as a couple. Is there anything wrong with just wanting to have a good time with someone without all this baggage?"

"No, there's nothing wrong with that." She agreed. "But like you said, I need to work out what's best for me."

"Yeah, you do."

"And the thing is, Randy, I don't think you are. You're not what's best for me. In fact, you're the one that caused all these problems in the first place – if we hadn't slept together that night, I wouldn't have any of these problems. Kofi wouldn't be with Alicia because he and I would never have broken up."

"You can't blame me for that – you came onto me." He pointed out.

"I don't blame you. I'm just saying..." Kelly didn't know what she was saying anymore. "I've gotta go." She walked straight out of Randy's house, unsure of whether she would ever return again – or if she ever wanted to.

* * *

"If I could live off one type of food, I think it might just be ice-cream." Eve decided as she and Ted walked hand-in-hand back to the beach house, her free hand holding a half-eaten vanilla cone. The early evening breeze filled the air and as she let out a small shiver, her boyfriend let go of her hand and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her in closer for extra warmth. "Thank you." She quickly added.

"Ice cream or me?"

"You might not like the answer so ask me again later." She giggled, enjoying the sweet snack far too much.

"Oh really? Oh, hang on, you've got a little–" Ted pushed the cone against her nose, the centre of her face covered in ice cream. "Look at that, my hand slipped!"

"You dick! Now the answer is definitely ice-cream."

"Are you sure about that?" He laughed, leaning over to lick a line of vanilla along the bridge of her nose, forcing her to giggle along with him.

"Can I have you dipped in ice-cream?" She asked sweetly, wrapping her arms around his neck as Ted took a lick of vanilla from her cheek. "If so, I'm thinking we ought to take a trip out and get a couple of buckets of Ben & Jerry's because I am planning a _very_ fun night."

"As great as that sounds, I'm actually going to see Mickie tonight."

Stopping on the porch of the beach house, Eve laughed. "You're kidding, right?" It seemed utterly ridiculous. Why on earth would her boyfriend go see that little witch after all she'd done? After all the ways she tried to ruin Eve's life? "You're not honestly going to see that little–"

"Easy." Ted said, sensing her anger bubbling. "I know she's done some...crazy stuff, but I want to hear her side of things. There's two sides to every story, aren't there? If she's done wrong then I'll know not to see her again but if she's–"

"There's no 'if' about it, Ted. She's tried to come in-between us, not to mention she's the reason my father and I now have a terrible relationship as opposed to no relationship at all! She's evil – you don't need to hear her side of the story to know that."

"She was always a good friend to me, I need to know the truth."

"Just when I thought that bitch was finally out of my life, here she is again, trying to weave her way back in!"

"Don't you think you're being a bit...harsh?" He wasn't defending the way Mickie appeared to have acted but he couldn't understand how someone that was once such a good friend to him could be so cruel. There must have been some reason for it.

"Did you not hear everything I just said? I don't hate anyone, Ted, but I _hate_ her! I despise her and I don't want you going to see her!"

"You don't want me going to see her? What are you? My mother? My wife? You can't control who I go see!"

"You're right, I don't, because if I did, I wouldn't have let you go see her in the first place!" They were both shouting on the porch now as Eve fumbled in her handbag to find her house keys and let herself in. Both were so deep in argument they barely noticed that Brie, Zack, Dolph and Kofi were sat in the living area watching TV, all of whom turned around at the fight brewing.

"Wow, I never knew how clingy you could be! It's not like I'm going over there to sleep with the girl!" He yelled back. "Jeez, apparently you've never heard of a little freedom, have you?"

"All I've given you is 'freedom' this summer and where did it leave us? On the brink of breaking up with crazy Mickie right in the middle of it!" Every time Eve used the word 'freedom', her fingers jerked angrily into air quotes and her became a little more shrill. "If you want 'freedom', feel _free_ to walk straight out that door and into the arms of a life-ruining tramp! Maybe she'll give you all this 'freedom' you want!"

Everything went silent as the five friends stared in disbelief at the argument that was transpiring; they'd never seen Ted and Eve fight like this; they were usually such a stable couple. Ted and Eve felt it as well, this was the worst they'd ever fallen out but neither was willing to admit that it had gotten out of hand.

It was Kofi that spoke first, standing up and walking over to the couple. "I think you guys need to cool off – have some space for a little while and talk again tomorrow."

"You're right." Ted sighed, making his way back over to the door.

"I didn't mean that you should leave–"

"Where're you going? Off to see Mickie?" Eve asked from behind her step-brother who was stood between them.

"I don't know, Eve. All I know is that Kofi's right, I need some space and all I'm getting here is a load of aggro!" He yelled back, slamming the door behind him.

* * *

Nothing like returning with a bang, right? :)  
Thank you for all the reviews so far and once again, please **review**! xx


	26. Honesty

Definitely got the writing bug back when it comes to this story :) Thank you for all the reviews so far and here's chapter 26...

* * *

**HONESTY**

* * *

If there was one thing that was worse to wake up to than a hangover, it was an overwhelming sense of guilt and frustration. There was also the feeling of a bad back because you spent the night curled up on someone else's too-small couch but that wasn't Ted's main priority as he sat upright and was greeted by Mickie, curled up on the opposite armchair watching the TV on a low volume so she didn't wake him up.

After his blow-up with Eve and storming out of the beach house, Ted didn't want to go to Mickie's. He went down to the beach and tried to cool off but he still found himself increasingly irritated by the events that had taken place. He called up Cody and the pair went out but when his friend wanted to return to the beach house, Ted realised how much he didn't want to go back.

So he had nowhere else to go but to Mickie's.

The brunette invited him inside but despite her pressing, he didn't want to talk to her about what happened. Instead, they watched TV – the most mundane of activities – until eventually Ted fell asleep on the couch. That led them into the next morning.

"You're awake." She observed, not moving her gaze from the TV but noticing movement from him out of the corner of her eye. "Hope you weren't too uncomfortable last night."

"It was fine, thanks for letting me crash here." He stood up and stretched before sitting back down again.

"Not a problem. So are you going to tell me what happened last night? I didn't think you wanted to talk about it last night but what about now you've cooled off?" Mickie dared to move onto the spot on the couch next to Ted, the space between them minimal. "Plus, I haven't heard from you in awhile anyway. What's going on?"

Considering all the things Eve had said the previous day, Ted didn't know how wise it was opening up to Mickie but he decided to anyway. "Eve and I got into a fight yesterday. We both said some pretty harsh stuff."

"Really? Like what?"

"I accused her of being clingy and not giving me freedom after she flipped out when I said I was going to see you. She started going on about how you ruined her life, which by the way, I'm still a little confused about. What the hell happened between you and her?"

"Oh my God, that was a total misunderstanding." Mickie put her head in her hands in mock embarrassment. I didn't realise how 'in the dark' Frederick was about the whole name thing and it just...slipped out. If I'd have known, I wouldn't have been so forward about it. I let it out the bag but you have no idea how terrible I feel about it." All lies, of course. "

"It's not just that though. Eve doesn't get that there's nothing more than friendship between us. She's convinced there's something else going on."

"Well, would it be so bad if there was?"

It took a couple of seconds for what she said to sink in, as Ted sat dumfounded next to her. "What? Mickie, I'm–"

"Shh, don't say anything." Mickie leaned forward slightly, resting a hand against the back of Ted's neck and bringing their lips together.

Since he and Eve got together, Ted hadn't even considered being with another woman; he was far too in love with his girlfriend. Being here with Mickie certainly gave him something to think about. Her lips were warm and soft and her hands stayed put, keeping them close together. For a moment, he kissed her back but the second he did, he realise it just wasn't right.

It wasn't that Mickie was a bad kisser or that he wasn't attracted to her; it was that she wasn't Eve. His thoughts hadn't changed at all because he never wanted anyone other than his girlfriend.

"Stop." He pulled away from the petite brunette, who was smiling. "You shouldn't have done that."

"You can't say there isn't something between us, Ted." She edged closer to him, her hand dropping to knee and slowly moving up his thigh. "From the moment we met, there's been chemistry. Don't tell me it's not there."

"I'm attracted to you, Mickie. But I'm also attracted to Megan Fox and that Asian chick that bartends down at the Quirk Club on Wednesday nights. The truth is, I'm in love with my girlfriend and I've yet to meet anyone that I care about more than her. I'm sorry but nothing is ever going to happen between us."

"But I'm...and you're...this is not how this was supposed to happen!" She was fuming that all her efforts had come to this; rejection. "Everything I did...it was pointless."

"Everything you did?" Ted raised an eyebrow and realisation set in. "All that stuff with Eve's dad, you did it on purpose, didn't you?"

Mickie didn't respond. It would have been utterly useless because nothing she could say would excuse her behaviour. There was little else she could do other than watch Ted shake his head in disappointment and leave her house, embarrassed that he ever defended her.

* * *

After a brief update from Kofi who'd witnessed yesterday's 'Fight Night', Tiffany was completely aware of all the problems Eve and Ted were having and normally, she was the kind of girl that put other people's issues before her own but the more she thought about it, the more the blonde realised that she needed to think about herself a little more; her possible future with Jack hung in the balance and she was sick of waiting around for the right time.

"Eve?" Tiffany knocked on her friend's bedroom door and pushed it open, to find the Latina still in bed. "Are you awake?" Her friend was lying on her side, turned away from the door so it was impossible to tell.

"Yeah, I am." She sat up and patted the spot next to her on the bed, insinuating Tiffany sit down, which the blonde did.

"Brie told me what happened with Ted last night. How're you doing?"

Eve shrugged. "I don't know. We left things really badly. He stormed out and didn't come back last night. Cody went out to meet with him last night and when he came back alone, he said that Ted needed some space and he didn't know where he was going. I've never seen him that mad before."

"But this is you and Ted. You're the strongest couple I know and he loves you so much." She wrapped an arm around her friend. "I'm certain you guys will get through this."

"The thing is, Tiff, I don't know if we will." Neither of the girls seemed to know how to come back from that as silence filled the room. Eve decided to continue on, forcing a smile onto her face and saying "Anyway, I don't want to talk about that right now. What's going on with you?"

"Not much." _No, that's a lie_, she mentally told herself_._ "Actually, there is something I wanted to talk to you about."

"Go on."

"Umm, okay then..." Why was she suddenly so nervous? She'd spent so long telling herself she needed to talk to Eve and yet here she was, stumbling over her words. And besides, her friend was one of the nicest people ever so she had no reason to be scared. "It's about Jack."

"As in Jack Swagger?"

"Yeah, that Jack. I should probably just get straight to the point...Jack kissed me."

Eve frowned; not out of sadness but out of confusion. "Like, a one off thing?"

"Well, we only kissed the once but we've been spending a lot of time together since we got to Miami."

"Really?"

"Quite a lot actually. You're probably the only person that hasn't spoken to be about it." Tiffany laughed. Everyone else seemed to comment on it but Eve hadn't even noticed.

"Whatever, I guess that's not the point – what happened?"

"Like I said, he kissed me but I pulled away. He's your ex and nothing can go on between me and him because of how he treated you and it doesn't matter how I feel because there's so much–"

"Whoa, Tiff, slow down. You're rambling." Eve chuckled, putting her hands on her friend's shoulders. "So you and Jack have been hanging out together a lot and he kissed you, but nothing can happen between the two of you because of how he treated me?" She paused, taking in what she'd just said. "How did I not see what was going on?"

Had she really been so caught up in her own issues with Ted, Mickie and her father that she didn't notice one of her best friends and her ex-boyfriend getting close? How could she not have seen what apparently everyone else had? She'd always considered herself to be a good friend, one that looked out for her loved ones, but surely she couldn't call herself that if she was so blind to what was going on?

"You've had your own share of problems." The blonde shrugged, pushing her long locks over one shoulder. "You had the right to be a little...distracted."

"Yeah but this is you and Jack. I didn't see it coming at all."

"Well nothing's necessarily going to happen–"

"Why? Because I used to date Jack?"

"That, and the fact he treated you like dirt."

"That was last year. People can change; Maryse, Jack, Mike, all of them." Eve pointed out, bringing a smile to Tiffany's face as she remembered her conversation with Rosa the other day and how the two Latina's had said the exact same thing. "Jack apologized for what went down and sure, we're not exactly _BFFs_ but I forgave him and since then, he's been great. You know why he broke up with Maryse? He genuinely liked me. That part of the relationship wasn't a bet. I don't think he'd kiss you if he didn't mean it.

"If you like him, Tiff, you should be with him. I'm happy you came to me for my blessing but you didn't need to; as long as you're happy, that's the main thing." She paused, looking at the look on the blonde's face. "How do you feel about him?"

"I _really_ like him." She admitted. "I've tried to fight it for a long time but I can't. He's wonderful and he treats me so well...so well I can't ever imagine him doing to me what he did to you."

"Like I said, people change. He did what he did to me and he lost me. I think he knows that if he does it again, he'll lose you too. And you're too amazing to lose."

The two girls exchanged a hug, bringing a lump to Tiffany's throat. "Thank you for being so cool about this."

"Hey, it's no problem, you go find your prince."

The blonde got off the bed and from the doorway of Eve's bedroom, she told her "And your prince? He'll come back. I can guarantee it."

* * *

"I've never seen either of them act that way, just yelling at each other, really hurtful stuff. Ted was accusing her of being clingy and telling her he wanted some space and she was basically accusing him of cheating on her. It was insane."

"Do you think they're going to break up?"

"I don't know, I really hope not. Ted's like, the most chilled out guy I know so seeing him wound up was weird, same goes for Eve. But like I said, they were so mean to each other, none of us could believe it."

"Damn, they were the last two people I saw breaking up."

As they walked down the boardwalk after going out for lunch, Brie filled Montel in on Eve and Ted's argument from the previous evening; it was all anyone in the house was talking about, especially seeing as Eve was locked away in her bedroom and Ted hadn't come back since storming out. Whether their relationship would survive was a question no-one knew the answer to.

"I guess it just shows that even the happiest of couples can have problems."

"Yeah, but Eve and Ted? They're like...I don't know, they were..." Brie mused, her hands resting against her ever-growing bump. It wasn't obvious that she was pregnant but her slim fitting dresses were now a little too tight and she was starting to get that bloated look to her stomach. In some ways, she quite liked it; it was nice being able to see that there was an actual baby in there. "They were so right for each other. So in love. Or so we thought."

"Hey, we don't know that they're going to break up. Just because people have problems, it doesn't mean it's the end." He pointed out.

"Hey, can we stop to sit down?" She asked, sitting herself down on a nearby bench and sighing deeply as she did so. Although gentle exercise was good, she often found that if she spent too long on her feet, she'd feel tired or sore. This also meant that she hadn't gone near her high heels in weeks, instead investing in several pairs of ballet flats – if they were good enough for Nicole Richie...

With every day that passed, it really sank in that they were having a baby together. Both had contacted their parents and let them know what was going on – of course, at first Mr Bella was furious at how irresponsible his daughter had been and how she could let such a thing happen but after she gave her father a couple of days to cool off, Brie called him back. He demanded she come home but she told him she wasn't leaving until the end of the summer because she'd still be able to fly then. Over time, he'd relaxed and was coming round to the idea of being a grandfather.

Montel's parents had been surprisingly relaxed about the situation. Their main fear was that their son would abandon Brie in her time of need he reassured them that she was fine and healthy and he had every intention of being an active father to their baby.

This whole situation reminded him of how lucky they both were to come from such privileged backgrounds; both had wealthy families and had support so when the baby was born, they could afford help so they could carry on with high school. He couldn't help but wonder how different the situation would be if they weren't as lucky.

"Oh my God, oh my God."

Completely distracted from his thoughts, he turned to his girlfriend, who was clutching her stomach, her mouth wide open. "What? Is everything okay?"

"The baby, I think it's kicking." She grabbed one of his hands and held it over her stomach, smiles gracing both their faces at the feel of the life growing inside her.

"That's incredible." He whispered. "It makes it so...real."

"This is real." She reminded him. "We're having a baby together; I don't think it gets more real than that."

* * *

A lot of people had trouble admitting they were wrong in a situation but Kelly was used to making mistakes and was therefore used to apologizing for them. She knew that sometimes, it was easier to suck up your pride and say you were sorry than to hold grudges and leave things on a sour note.

That's why Kelly was on her way to Randy's house, ready to grovel.

After a lot of thought and consideration, she had to agree with Randy. They _weren't_ an official item and for her to be bringing him into her problems with Kofi and Alicia, it wasn't fair. And she'd just gotten out of a serious relationship and she never asked him for a commitment of any sort.

She knew that he had a point when he called her a martyr. Despite the fact they weren't together anymore, she wanted to please Kofi. Even though they weren't really friends, she wanted Alicia's approval and she wanted her relationship with Randy to work. She wasn't ashamed to say she was a martyr but unfortunately, trying to combine all those elements was combustible and that's where her problems lay.

Ending things with Randy seemed drastic in hindsight. He was right, they didn't have a future together but there wasn't anything wrong with that. He was right, they had fun together and with all the drama that this vacation had brought, she was all in favour of fun.

"Hey Kelly!"

The blonde was walking towards the Orton household and saw a guy she vaguely recognised but couldn't put a name to. He was one of Randy's friend's and she'd definitely met him before. "Hey..."

"John."

"Right, of course." She smiled back at him, signalling at the house behind. "I was actually just on my way to see Randy. I guess you've been to see him?"

"Umm..." John lifted off the cap that had been resting on his head and scratched the back of it nervously, as if suddenly under pressure. "When did you last speak to Randy?"

"Yesterday, around midday. We got into a bit of a fight, that's kinda why I'm here now, to apologize. Why?"

"I can't believe he didn't tell you."

"What?"

"Randy didn't tell you?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Kelly raised an eyebrow, completely oblivious to what John was saying.

"Randy's gone."

"Gone?"

"Well, he and his parents are going to visit family in St Louis, Missouri for the week and then after that, he's starting his military training. He left with his parents and sister about two hours ago, I just let myself in with my spare key because I left my Black Ops game round there." He pulled the Xbox game out from behind his back with a hint of a smile. "He's not gonna be back in Miami until Christmas."

"That means I'm not going to see him again." She realised. "I'm only here for the summer. Oh my God, I can't believe he didn't say anything to me."

"Randy's not one for emotional goodbyes. I think he probably was trying to spare your feelings, even if he maybe didn't go about it in the right way."

"Yeah maybe."

Sensing the blonde was hurt but unsure how he was meant to console her, John rested a hand against her forearm. "Are you gonna be okay?"

"I'm just in shock, that's all."

"Do you need me to walk you home or anything?"

She shook her head but smiled, grateful for his kindness. "That's very sweet of you but I don't live far from here. I'll be fine." She turned around to leave but after about five steps, she turned back to John and said "Hey! You'll probably see Randy or speak to him again, won't you?" John nodded. "When you do, just tell him...tell him I said thank you. I liked him. And I wish him the best in everything he does."

"I'm sure he'd say the same to you."

* * *

Say goodbye to Mr Orton... (sorry ladies!)  
I'm really excited to write the next couple of chapters because soon enough, I'll have to wrap this story up.  
It'll probably be somewhere between 35-40 chapters.  
Anyway, please **review** :) xx


	27. Here Is My Heart

Thank you for all the reviews :) Here's chapter 27...

* * *

**HERE IS MY HEART**

* * *

Since sitting down on the kitchen counter with a bowl of Lucky Charms in her lap, Kelly's eyes hadn't moved from the spot on the wall she'd been focusing in on. Her cereal was untouched as she sat completely transfixed by her own thoughts.

The previous night had definitely been a shock to her. Randy was gone and she'd probably never see him again. She knew he was going to leave eventually but the fact he didn't even say goodbye was what hit her the hardest; like he said, they weren't serious but she still cared for him and hoped they could end things civilly.

After discovering Randy had left, the blonde headed home in an attempt to drown her sorrows and John insisted on following her regardless of her protests. At first, she wondered if he was planning on making a move but it seemed he was just there to be supportive. Over a bottle of Jim Bean she found at the back of one of the kitchen cupboards, she revealed all to Randy's best friend, in need of someone to talk to. John was a nice guy and even nicer considering he knew Randy and therefore understood where she was coming from.

When Maryse walked in on Kelly and John together in the kitchen, she knew what the French-Canadian was thinking. After all, John was a good looking guy but the last thing on Kelly's mind was another relationship.

Losing Randy so soon after losing Kofi gave the blonde something to think about. Was she at the point where she was just repelling men? Her track record wasn't looking good but the truth was, it was her caring that drove these guys away. She cared so much that she over-powered them and it stopped them from sticking around.

"Good morning."

Kofi had entered the kitchen and Kelly looked up at him as he grabbed himself a bowl of cereal to match his ex-girlfriend's. "You can have these, if you want. I haven't touched them." She offered the bowl to him with a small smile.

"Thanks." He took the bowl and spoon out of her hand and sat up on the counter next to her. "You normally love Lucky Charms. Is everything alright?"

It wasn't something she felt entirely comfortable talking to Kofi about but she decided that if she could open up to John, who she'd only really just met, she could open up to someone who was once the most important person in her life. "Well, Randy and I got into a fight two nights ago and yesterday I went to apologise to him but I ended up finding John, who told me that Randy was gone."

"Gone?"

"He's starting his military training in Texas so I'll probably never see him again."

"Wow." Kofi muttered, unsure of what to say. "I'm sorry, Kells."

"It was only ever going to be for the summer anyway. I'm just kind of bummed out that he didn't tell me he was leaving – showing up at his house and having his best friend tell me wasn't exactly the way I wanted to find out. It's not a big deal."

"Hey, it is a big deal. He should've been the one to tell you. Getting his friend to do it was the coward's way out."

"Actually, he didn't _get_ John to tell me." She corrected. "I happened to run into John, who felt he had to tell me."

"So he was just going to leave you to try and work it out yourself? That's even worse."

"The last time we saw each other, we fought so maybe he thought he wouldn't _have_ to tell me; he might've thought we'd never see each other again."

"That's no excuse; a phone call's hardy difficult." Kofi didn't even seem aware that one of his arms had woven around Kelly's shoulders and her head had rested against his shoulder comfortingly. As soon as he became aware of this, however, he jumped off the counter as if to brush away what had happened. "You know what? It's probably not my place to get involved."

"I appreciated it actually. It's nice hearing someone else say the things that I'm thinking; makes me feel a little less crazy."

He placed the still full bowl of Lucky Charms over by the sink. He hadn't touched them either. "I should probably go take a shower."

She nodded, watching as he disappeared out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

* * *

"Hi, it's me...again. Umm, obviously you didn't come back last night and Cody hasn't told me where you've been hiding. I hope you're okay, whatever you're doing and that you come back soon. We need to talk, Ted, and if things are going to end, I don't want them to end this way. Not that I want them to end at all. Call me when you get this?"

Ending her voicemail, Eve put her phone down on the table in Starbucks and sat back in her chair unhappily. As she said, her boyfriend hadn't returned the previous night and she felt she had to get in touch with him at this point. Cody said that he was crashing somewhere else for a couple of days whilst he cleared his head but apparently Ted had asked him not to tell people where he was.

Why was he ignoring her? She understood that he wanted his space but sooner or later, he had to come back to the house and talk to her. After around five months together, he couldn't just walk out and leave things so ambiguous.

She took a sip of her latte, willing the sinking feeling in her stomach to disappear. Her appetite had definitely deteriorated and despite the fact she was sleeping more than usual, she constantly felt exhausted. In an attempt to cheer her up, Zack, Cody and Rosa were meeting her and the foursome were going to go the arcade. She appreciated her friends' kindness but she didn't feel like forcing a smile for them when she felt so miserable.

Her eyes lit up at the sight of her glowing phone screen but seconds later, she saw it was a text from Rosa, saying '_Running a little late – we'll b there soon! Xoxo.' _It didn't help that when she exited the message, she was greeted by her phone wallpaper; a picture of her and Ted from earlier this year; happier times for them.

"I'll have a cappuccino." Eve's mind was quickly taken away from Ted as a familiar voice over by the counter caught her attention. Looking up, she saw Frederick and a second later, he glanced over at her completely by accident. "Can I have that to go, please?" He quickly added.

Unsure of what to say to her father but knowing she couldn't just pretend he didn't exist, she got to her feet and walked towards him. "Hi." She gave him a small wave. The last time she saw him, he more or less told her he didn't want anything to do with her.

"I'm sorry, Eve, I'm in kind of a rush." He threw some money down on the counter and as soon as the coffee was done, he dashed straight out of the Starbucks, leaving Eve feeling more stupid than ever.

"Do you know that guy?" The woman behind the counter asked.

"Sort of."

"Well, he left this." She held up a black leather wallet he'd left sitting on the counter. "Do you think you can get this to him?"

"Hey girl, how're you doing?" Eve's conversation with the barista was cut off by her three friends entering the coffee shop, smiles covering their faces. Rosa gave her friend a warm hug before pulling away and narrowing her eyes at her boyfriend. "Sorry we're late, Zack over here ran out of gel and we had to stop to buy him some."

"Hey, my image is important to me and my hair is a big part of that." Zack's hands ran across the spiked tips as a grin graced his features. "It should be GTG –gym, tan and gel! Woo woo woo, you know it!"

Cody rolled his eyes and turned to Eve, pulling her in for a half hug. "You alright?" He was in a tough position. Being Ted's best friend, his loyalty lay with him but he sympathised with Eve and knew how bad she was feeling. He hated having to stand up for Ted when it was Eve he had to see every day whilst his friend refused to face up to his problems.

"I'm okay, I guess." She said with a shrug. Eve turned back to the girl at the counter and politely took the wallet without her friends noticing. "Shall we go?"

* * *

Dolph was one of the first people to admit he could be a little vain; be it the designer clothes, dyed hair, great knowledge of men's skincare products and regular trips to the gym and swimming pool. He loved the ladies and the ladies loved him. So it was no surprise that even whilst he was on vacation, the routine didn't stop.

He arrived back from the local gym after an hour long swim and an extra hour in the gym and despite his great conditioning, he was all ready to crash on his bed and catch up on some Zs. Any thought of rest was quickly erased from his mind, however, as he found Nikki and Brie hanging around the living room, the former of the two barely acknowledging his existence.

"You left your cell phone here." Brie informed him, pointing to the blonde boy's sidekick, sat on the coffee table. "You had a call but we let it go to machine."

"Thanks." He smiled at both sisters, despite the snooty look Nikki shot him. He picked up his iPhone and went straight to answer machine.

"_Hey Dolph, it's Kaitlyn. Sorry I missed you – I was going to come over to the house but I didn't know if you'd be around. The thing is, I've got some family stuff going down – that's kinda why my parents flew out here – and I have to go back to Texas for a couple of days. It's not a big deal and I'll only be gone for about four days so I'll definitely see you before the end of summer. Once again, sorry I couldn't tell you this in person. Just text me to let me know you got this and I'll call you when I'm back in Miami." _

He glanced over at the two girls, wondering if they heard the message. Brie didn't seem to be taking any notice, too enthralled in her copy of _People_ magazine but Nikki, on the other hand, was looking right at him, expressionless. She knew the password to his phone and could easily have listened to it.

"Oww, when you get pregnant, you'll be just as uncomfortable as I am. It's still early on but it already feels like the baby is kicking at my bladder. He or she is feeling feisty today." Brie rolled her eyes, getting to her feet and heading towards the bathroom, leaving the former couple alone together.

"You look like you know something." Dolph told his shifty-looking former flame, who began innocently flicking through her sister's magazine.

"Your answer phone was set to speaker so Brie and I heard. Looks like you won't be getting anything from Miss Texas for a while." She didn't sound as smug as she could have but she wasn't sympathetic either.

"You know what they say, everything's better in Texas." He joked light-heartedly.

"And I think it was Katy Perry that said California girls were unforgettable."

Dolph shook his head and smiled, making his way up to his bedroom and closing the door behind him before taking what was almost a running jump and crashing down in the middle of his bed, his head hitting the pillow and his eyes closing. He decided to get some shut eye because he and Cody were going to go out for the night and try and scout some ladies.

Just as he was about to fall asleep, however, it dawned on him that the girl he was seeing had left and he hadn't felt the smallest bit sad. "Daisy dukes, bikinis on top..." He found himself humming in his sleepy state.

* * *

"Something's wrong." From the other end of the couch, Mike looked over at Maryse. She was watching Teen Mom and usually she had some snide comment to make about the girls' terrible fashion sense and white trash mentality but he could see she wasn't really taking in what was going on.

She turned around to look at Mike and forced a smile. "I'm fine."

"Bullshit. Is this about Cody?"

At the very mention of his name, Maryse frowned, giving Mike his answer. Was she not allowed to be a little upset, a little confused, at how he ended things? A vague explanation and a cryptic message; didn't she deserve more than that from someone she'd grown so close to?

"Ryse?"

"I don't understand why he finished with me." She admitted, turning on the TV. "Everyone thinks I'm this bitch that will get straight back on the horse after a guy ends things but nobody considers the possibility that I have feelings too, just like all the other girls in this house."

"I didn't know you felt that strongly about Cody."

"I spent two years with Jack and I loved him with everything I had, only for him to throw it away when Eve came along. I covered up how much that hurt me and because of that, no-one knew how much that break-up affected me; Rosa was the only person I cried in front of. I let myself fall for Wade and look what happened there, once again, it's me that ends up feeling the full force of what I don't even think was a break-up.

"Then Cody came along; sweet, wonderful Cody, who's different to the guys I normally go for because he's so genuine. We told each other it was purely physical but once again, I let my feelings take over and I get hurt when he ends things. Of all the guys to end things with me, I never thought I'd get hurt by _Cody Rhodes._ What is it about me, Mike? What am I doing wrong?"

He'd never seen this side of Maryse before; so sad and vulnerable. "You haven't done anything wrong. Don't ever think that. You are...the most amazing girl I know and no-one holds a candle to you."

"You know why I get involved with so many guys? When I'm not in a relationship, I just like having a guy around, you know? Just so I can at least _feel_ like someone cares. But three failures? I don't get it."

"Jack was stupid and so was Wade. Cody..." This was his chance to tell Maryse the truth about how he felt and why Cody ended things with her but the words just stuck in his throat, cutting him off. "You're sexy, full of confidence and life, you know what you want and you'll do whatever it takes to get it. You're ambitious and you're also perfect and any guy would be lucky to have you...me included."

"Aw, Mike." The blonde leaned over to rest her head in his lap, letting him run his fingers through her hair. "You're an amazing friend, you know that right?"

* * *

Jack knew that Tiffany liked coming onto the beach in the evenings so he was certain that was where he'd find her. It was still warm outside but the sun was setting into the sea and the sky was a blend of pink and orange, something he remembered her telling him that she loved.

It was no surprise to him to find her sat down on the sand, her knees pulled around her chest and wearing a pair of denim shorts and a grey hoodie that swamped her upper half. The closer he looked, he realised that was his Beverly Hills High sweatshirt, bringing a smile to his face.

"You'd better get that washed up before you give it back to me." He told her jokingly, sitting down on the sand next to her.

"Sorry. It was getting cooler and I found this in my closet." She hugged it around her frame and smiled. "I like it. It's warm and...as weird as it sounds, it smells of you. I like that." Now Jack was confused. She'd spent weeks telling him she wasn't interested in him and completely shunning any possibility of them getting together and yet here she was, now sweeter than ever?

It didn't matter though. No matter how much she shot him down and told him they weren't going to be a couple, his feelings didn't deteriorate. She was still this incredible girl that made him feel feelings he never had before. Although she didn't seem to agree, he actually saw a future between them.

After a long pause, Jack said "I think we need to talk," at the same time Tiffany said "I have to tell you something." They both laughed but it was him that said "Let me go first?"

"Okay." She replied with a shy smile.

"I met this amazing girl this summer." He began, watching as the smile on the beautiful blonde's face widened. "I've been to high school with her for four years but I never noticed her before. When I started to, I began to fall for her. When I say 'fall for her', I mean everything about her. Her beautiful eyes, her caring nature, the fact she's so much smarter than me, all the stuff she's taught me, intentionally and not.

Yeah, she taught me to do my own laundry and make a killer breakfast but she also she also taught me what it was to _really_ love someone. Not that pretend love you convince yourself you feel. I was with Maryse because she was the head cheerleader and I was the basketball captain. I was with Eve because I was bored with Maryse and Eve was sweet and good looking enough to suffice. I thought it was 'love' with them, but with you, I don't need reasons and a load of 'because', I just feel it. That's how I know it's love.

You're probably too good for me and if you say no to me, you'll go on to some amazing college and meet a guy who's a lot more suited for you than I am. He might be smarter than me and read more books but he will never be able to care for you as much as I do. And I know you're scared that I'm going to hurt you or treat you like dirt but I don't think I could ever do that to you. Obviously I can't prove this to you straight away but if you let me, I will give you everything because despite the fact I've just been talking at you for what feels like an eternity, all I'm trying to say is that I love you."

Jack stopped talking and a silence settled between the two, no-one saying anything as Tiffany bit down on her lip, her gazing falling onto the sand beneath her.

"And I thought this might be uncomfortable." He muttered sarcastically under his breath. "Please say something."

Tiffany didn't say anything. Instead, she turned her head to the side and leaned over, pressing her lips softly against Jack's. He responded, wrapping an arm around her and letting his fingers run through her long hair. When she pulled away, her forehead pressed against his and her voice was soft. "I'm sorry for keeping you waiting. I wanted to talk to Eve and make sure I was certain this was what I wanted. I knew before that I loved you but now, I'm more certain than ever."

"You really mean that?" He asked, pecking her lips.

"I do, I really do. I've been telling myself I don't but I can't deny it anymore. All those things you said...I believe you and I want you to know that if you've changed, I'm yours."

"I've changed."

"Then there's really nothing else to say is there?" The smile still plastered on her face, Tiffany could feel her heart jumping underneath Jack's sweatshirt as she leaned forward once more to give him one longer, lingering kiss, blissfully happy that in that moment that she was there with him and nowhere else.

"It's getting a little cold out here. Do you want to head back inside?"

She shook her head, sitting in front of him and letting his arms float around her waist, pulling her back against his body as she settled into the gap in between his legs. It felt right, as if she should've been doing this a lot sooner. "I don't want to go back in yet. Let's just...stay here for a little while."

He didn't argue, only holding her a little tighter for warmth. She smiled at his protective touch; she wanted to remember being here with Jack forever.

* * *

I can think of a few people who've been waiting for _that _moment for a while ;)  
Hope you enjoyed and please leave a **review**! xx


	28. Back To You

Chapter 28, anyone? :) Thanks for all the reviews so far!

* * *

**BACK TO YOU**

* * *

Waking up on the beach, still lying in Jack's arms, Tiffany slid out of his arms and stood up, stretching out her legs. It was still early – she wasn't sure what time it was but no-one else was around, it was surprisingly chilly and the sky was a blue-grey as the white sun rose out of the sea. No longer having Jack for warmth, she pulled the sweatshirt tighter around her and smiled, replaying every detail of the previous evening in her head.

It was like one of the romantic films she'd watch with her friends. Picture perfect.

"How long have you been awake?"

She saw that Jack was also waking up and watched as he rubbed at his eyes before getting to his feet and once more wrapping his arms around her waist. "Not long. Even though it's early, it's really beautiful out here." She observed, leaning back against him and smiling.

"Like you then."

Who knew he was such a romantic? She spun around and wrapped her arms across the back of his neck, allowing him to lean down and kiss her softly on the lips. Being able to kiss him anytime she wanted was an change but one she could definitely adjust to. "All that stuff you said last night...did you really mean it?"

"Of course I did. I wouldn't have said it if it wasn't true." Jack replied. "Why do you ask?"

"I just wondered if maybe you said that stuff in the moment. I want to be with you and I think you want to be with me too but I just want to be sure."

"I've wanted to be with you all summer and now we're finally together. I don't regret a single thing I said last night because every last bit of it was the truth. I love you and I think we're in this for the long haul." That was all she wanted to hear. She didn't say anything else, instead let him kiss the top of her head as she wrapped her arms around his waist and allowed him to embrace her. "Shall we go inside and tell everyone the news?"

"It's still early – they'll probably all be in bed. Besides, we have the whole day to tell them. Let's just stay out here for a little while longer." It was a beautiful sunrise and Tiffany wanted to enjoy it with her new boyfriend.

* * *

"Am I completely stupid for having no idea there was something going on between Tiffany and Jack?"

A towel-clad Nikki found herself springing backwards in surprise as she exited the bathroom after her shower, and Dolph was stood outside the door. Had he been waiting for the bathroom? Or had he been waiting for her? "Wow, I've never had a stalker before. Unless you count Danny Romero in second grade, but that was because he thought I was a clone of Brie. He actually thought my dad invented a cloning machine, stuck Brie in one side and I was what came out."

She headed down towards her bedroom and Dolph followed. "I'm serious! I had no idea whatsoever! Did you know?"

"My female intuition told me something was up, that and Rosa can't keep her mouth shut. But I didn't know how serious things were between them. Now is there anything else you need me to help you with? Because I know you don't care about Jack and Tiffany _that_ much. I also know you're bored because your girlfriend's gone back to good ol' Texas but that doesn't mean you can run back to me and pretend nothing ever happened."

Seeing Dolph so uncomfortable provided Nikki with great happiness. He shuffled nervously on the spot, stood by her door, unsure of what to do.

"My God, do you need to use the bathroom or something?" She laughed, going into her chest of drawers and pulling out some underwear and clean clothes for herself. "Are you going to just stand there and watch me get dressed? Jeez, what's up with you today?"

Something had been up with him for a while but Dolph didn't know what it was or how he was supposed to deal with it. When he had Nikki, he didn't care about her enough to hold onto her. He let her go and didn't think about how much he'd miss having her around. At least when Kaitlyn was around, he could attempt to distract himself but she was gone and all he had was Nikki, who seemed so out of reach.

"I'm fine." He shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Do you want to go grab some lunch later?"

She continued to look at him, unimpressed. "Did you not hear me? Just because Kaitlyn's gone back home, do you honestly think you're going to win me back whilst she's gone?"

"That's not what I'm trying to–"

"Anyway, it doesn't matter if you are because I have a date."

"With who?" Now it was his turn to look unimpressed.

"This guy I met the other day. He's not my usual type but I thought, hey, I haven't had much luck with guys in the past so why not veer away from whatever my usual type is." Underneath the towel, she slipped on a pair of French knickers and tight black body-con skirt. "He's taking me out to lunch so I'm afraid I'm going to have to reject your invitation."

Was there really anything else Dolph could say that would sway her thoughts away? No. He often found that when Nikki set her mind on something, she wouldn't budge from it. She was going on a date with this guy, whether he liked it or not and all he could do was leave her to get dressed in peace.

* * *

Whenever Maryse was feeling sad, there were two sure-fire ways activities that would cheer her up; shopping and going on a man-hunt. With recent events taken into account, the latter didn't seem appropriate so she, Kelly and Alicia decided to spend the afternoon with heavy wallets, scouring the best stores in Miami. Recent tensions between Kelly and Alicia were certainly making things awkward but Maryse was too pre-occupied with her own troubles to notice.

"I'm going to die alone." She sat down on a chair with a heavy sigh and slipped on a pair of Jimmy Choos. Even the pretty shoes couldn't improve her mood. "I'm going to be one of those insane women that live by themselves in a huge Hollywood Hills mansion, roaming the house with nothing but a cat for company."

"Babe, you know that's not true." Alicia reassured her from the rail of skirts she was rifling through. "Although what I really want to talk about is you and Cody; I can't believe you guys were secretly hooking up! How was he?"

"Considering he was a virgin before we got together, he was actually really good at everything we did." She replied , embarrassed to be telling the girls this but at the same time, relieved she could tell someone what had been going on.

"I've always found Kofi to be particularly good with his hands." Alicia commented innocently. "What do you think, Kelly?"

For Maryse's sake, Kelly had been trying to play nice to make this a pleasant day for their friend but her frenemy wasn't returning this and was sniping at Kelly every opportunity she got. The blonde ignored Alicia's comment and sat down next to Maryse. "What exactly did he say when he broke up with you?"

"Oh, I don't know, he fed me some crap about not being able to see a future between us back in L.A. Then he said there was another guy that was into me and it was up to him to come clean."

"Who could it be? Did Cody say he was in our group?"

"That was the impression that I got."

"The only single guys are Cody, Mike and technically Dolph." Alicia held one of the mini-skirts against her tiny frame as she approached a full-length mirror and analysed both her fashion and the situation. "Could it be any of them?"

"It's obviously not Cody." Kelly observed. "And Dolph's seeing someone – that Kaitlyn girl – so it's probably not him. That leaves Mike."

The thought of it made Maryse scoff. "Really? No way, Mike's...he's like my best friend and he's always there for me. He doesn't _like_ me!"

"How can you be so sure?"

"Well, the other day after Cody called things off, it was Mike that was there to comfort me. He was saying all this nice stuff, about how Jack and Wade and Cody were idiots for ever turning me away, and he was saying how great I was and that any guy would be lucky to have me–"

Both Kelly and Alicia wore matching 'Duh!' expressions that stopped Maryse.

"You think Mike likes me? Just because he...no, that doesn't mean...oh my God, does Mike _like_ me?"

She never even considered the possibility that Mike had feelings for her and quite honestly, she'd never thought about him in that way. She decided not to spend too much time thinking about it, it could wait until another time. Besides, there was shopping to be done. It had always been a great distraction in the past and it would continue to be just that.

* * *

Returning home to the beach house was oddly nerve-wracking for Ted. After disappearing off the radar for a couple of days, he wondered how everyone would treat him or more importantly, how Eve would feel. He didn't know how much more he could tell her he loved her but it was something he felt needed re-affirming.

"She's upstairs." Cody told Ted when his best friend re-entered the house. He was well aware that Cody didn't approve of his recent actions and he'd have to explain himself another time but right then, Eve was his main priority.

He found his girlfriend upstairs in their bedroom, sat on the edge of herbed, reading a magazine. It took her a few seconds to digest that it really was Ted but as soon as she had, he went straight over to her and planted a firm but loving kiss on her lips. "I'm sorry, I love you and I'll never do anything that stupid again," he told her, cupping her face in his hands.

"Where've you been?" She asked, willing herself not to burst into tears. She couldn't tell whether it was due to happiness or sadness.

"I thought I could run away from what happened, from all that stuff we said, but I realised I was being a coward. That first night, I went to Mickie's and the next morning, she kissed me. And at first, I kissed her back–" He watched his girlfriend's face dropped at his confession. "–but being with Mickie made me realise you were the only one that I want to be with. I never returned Mickie's feelings. I only wanted to be her friend but she always thought there was something more there. It also made me realise that a lot of the stuff you said about her was true. She's a liar, so I left."

"So if you only stayed at Mickie's for the first night, where've you been since then?"

"I checked into the St Jack's Hotel and I've been hiding out there. I honestly don't know what I was doing there. Maybe I was embarrassed that I ever listened to a word Mickie said. Or maybe I was ashamed of the things I said to you."

"Ted," Eve smiled, wrapping an arm around him and dropping her head onto his shoulder.

"I knew I needed to speak to you, I needed to tell you that you mean the world to me and without you by my side...I'm miserable."

"Without you, I'm miserable." She agreed. "But we've been fighting so much this summer. What if we just keep fighting until we don't have the energy to fight anymore?"

"No more fights, no more secrets, no more drama." He assured her. "I mean it, Eve. I want us to be happy again and if we try, I know we can be."

They'd apologized for their actions before but this time it felt real. Maybe they needed a big fight to help them, not being able to get to the rainbow without going through the rain, as clichéd as it was. She could see the truth in her boyfriend's face and it told her they could get through this. "I'm glad you're back. I love you."

"I love you too." Another kiss sealed their agreement. Ted was back and they were on the road to relationship recovery. As they pulled away, he observed the wallet that sat on the bedside table. "Should I be worried that there's another man's wallet by your bed?"

"It's my dad's." She explained. "He left it in Starbucks the other day and I don't know why, but I offered to take it. I need to get it back to him but...I don't know how I'm supposed to approach the whole thing...But I don't want to talk about that right now. I'm here, you're here, that's all that matters."

As she sank back into Ted's arms, she felt happy to know that whatever happened between her and her father, Ted would always be there to support her.

* * *

Definitely rushed the ending but either way, I'm relatively happy with this.  
Please **review** :) x


	29. Second Chances

Wow, updating all 3 of my stories in 2 days... I'm on a roll :)  
Thanks for the reviews and here's chapter 29!

* * *

**SECOND CHANCES**

* * *

Sometimes, it doesn't matter how sunny it is outside, or whether the beach is crowded with hot girls or not, guys just want to stay in their living room and play on the Xbox. That was definitely the case for Jack and Mike, both of whom were only leaving their spots on the couch to answer the door to the guy delivering the takeout or to take the occasional bathroom break. It was male bonding at its finest.

"Pause for a second." Putting down the Xbox controller and taking his cell phone out from his pocket, Jack smiled as he saw he had received a text from his girlfriend. "I need to reply to this."

"I wonder who on earth could be texting you." Mike rolled his eyes, continuing the game anyway and shooting Jack down. On screen, of course. "What does Tiff want this time?"

"We're going to see a movie tonight and she's choosing. Some shit Sandra Bullock chick flick by the sounds of things. Whatever."

"You don't sound too concerned."

"I'm not," the blonde boy shrugged. "She got to choose the film, she wants to go see it, whatever she wants to do is fine by me."

Mike didn't look at Jack but he still shook his head in disbelief. "I dunno, man, since you got together with Tiffany, I think you're turning soft. You're rolling over for her, letting her pick the movies, all lovesick and puppy dog eyed. What happened to playboy Swagger? She's changed you."

"Maybe I have changed." Jack shrugged again, this time smiling slightly. "It's not necessarily a bad thing, you know? So what, I'm not chasing chicks anymore, not playing the field or getting with a different girl every night? Being with Tiffany has shown me that I don't want to be that guy. I know you haven't been in a serious relationship before but haven't you ever seen a girl and thought maybe, just maybe, you'd give it all up for her?"

_Maryse_, Mike thought to himself sadly. He'd give it all up for her.

"You're thinking of someone, aren't you? Who is it?"

He refused to respond, keeping firmly concentrated on the Xbox.

"You're right. You're pretty cold-hearted and you're not capable of having real feelings for a girl." Jack decided to try a different tactic. "I mean, how many girls have you been with? And then think about how many you've actually genuinely cared about...doesn't really match up, does it? But hey, that's fine. To each their own."

"But what if there was someone? Someone you've liked for a long time. What if you're willing to change for them and you want them to know that?"

"You mean Maryse?"

Finally, he turned away from the Xbox, dropping the controller and looking over at his best friend. "You know?"

"I didn't know you'd like her for _a long time_. It's just, the other day when me, you, Tiff and Maryse were in the kitchen, having breakfast and Maryse was drinking coffee and talking about how overrated Twilight was and it was the way you were looking at her..." In his head, he decided he was sounding a bit gay and cut it short. "We've been friends for a long time and it sounds corny as hell but I've never seen you look that way at another girl. It's the way Ted looks at Eve, or the way Montel looks at Brie. It's the way I look at Tiff."

"You don't care? But you guys used to be like, the perfect couple."

"Exactly – we _used_ _to be_. In freshman and sophomore year. Neither of us knew what it was to really love someone back then."

"So you honestly don't care? You don't even find it weird that I like Maryse?"

He shook his head. "No, actually I think you guys are sort of perfect for each other."

* * *

"Okay, so let me get this straight? One of the main reasons you wanted to come to Miami is because you found out your dad lived here. You went along to his writing classes in the hope of getting to know him but everything got messed up when Mickie told him that you were hiding something from him. You told him you were his daughter, he freaked out and left. Then, you ran into each other in Starbucks, he leaves in a rush, leaving his wallet behind and now you have the wallet?"

"In a nutshell." Eve nodded at her boyfriend's recount of her relationship with her father, sipping at her glass of orange juice and smiling at the waitress that refilled it. "I need to return this, don't I?"

"I know he's your dad and you don't want to see him, but if it were anyone else's wallet, you'd return it, wouldn't you? If he's smart, he'd have deactivated his cards. Have you looked inside?"

"Actually, I haven't. I don't know why...maybe I was scared about what I'd find."

She didn't look as Ted took the wallet that sat in the middle of the table and opened it up. There was about thirty dollars in cash as well as a bunch of different credit cards but other than that, nothing too incriminating. "It all looks pretty innocent." He commented, continuing to rifle through. "Does Frederick have any kids?"

"Other than me? None. Why?"

Tucked away behind an out-of-date library card, Ted had found a pocket-sized picture, like a driver's license photo, except for it was a black and white photo of a man, who he assumed to be Frederick, holding a baby. The man looked to be in his mid-thirties, with light coloured hair, in a shirt and jeans. The baby was looking up at him with wide eyes. Ted thought he recognised the photo but he wasn't sure why, so he pulled out the photo and showed it to Eve.

"Oh my God," she ran her thumb over the picture, "I've never seen this photo before. That's me and my dad."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded. "Definitely. There's a photo just like this above our fireplace, except it's my mom holding me instead of my dad. They arranged this photo shoot thing and I guess this was one of the photos – obviously my mom never wanted me to see it."

There was a moment of silence whilst she looked at the photo before Ted spoke up. "He keeps a photo of you, Eve. That means something." He reminded her. "We're leaving Miami soon and you have to talk to him properly before we go."

"I know." She sighed, putting the picture back into the wallet. "You'll be there when I talk to him, won't you?"

"Of course."

"Good." Grabbing enough money from her father's wallet to pay their breakfast bill, Eve laid down the money and handed it to the waitress, earning her a disapproving look from Ted. "What? He's missed out on seventeen years of my life; the least he can do is pay for breakfast."

Ted rolled his eyes, taking her hand as they left the cafe together.

* * *

"_I don't get why you constantly feel the need to get involved with her business!"_

"_We're living in the same house, Leesh, I'm not going to ignore her!"_

"_That's not the point. The point is, she's everywhere I look!"_

"_We live in the same house! God, why am I repeating myself? This is so stupid!" _

On the other side of the kitchen door, Zack, Dolph and Montel listened from the living room as Alicia and Kofi argued, their voices rising to the point where the trio had given up watching TV and were simply listening to the drama unfold. None of them said anything, partly due to surprise and partly because they didn't want to miss any details.

"Damn." Montel muttered, sinking down into one of the armchairs. "How long have they been at it now?"

"About twenty minutes." Dolph signalled at the clock on the wall. "And it doesn't sound like it's going to end any time soon."

"Tell me about it – she's mad but he's not backing down."

"Good for Kofi. He shouldn't back down every time Alicia decides to throw a bitch fit."

"But she always seems mad at him." Zack chipped in. "My bedroom's next to theirs and all she ever seems to do is moan about Kelly. I don't even know why Kofi and Alicia are together; they clearly make each other unhappy."

Montel interjected. "We don't know that's true."

"Yeah, we do, but none of us are admitting it because we think it's best to leave it up to them. If we were real friends to him – hell, even to her – we'd tell them the truth."

"That Kofi and Alicia are wrong for each other?"

"And that Kofi and Kelly should be together." Zack paused. "Don't look at me like that guys, you know it's true. Kelly screwed up but we all know that every day, she regrets what she did and still loves Kofi. She never stopped loving him and he's never stopped loving her."

The noise in the kitchen died down and seconds later, Alicia stormed out into the living room and then out the front door, not even taking a look at the three guys whose eyes were following her. As soon as he heard the slam of the front door, Kofi emerged. "I guess you guys heard all of that."

"Not all of it." Montel replied, as if it were going to be some reassurance.

Kofi sat down on the couch next to Dolph with a heavy sigh. "I don't know why she acts like this. All she ever seems to want to do is fight about Kelly. I comforted her because Randy left without telling her. That just means I'm trying to make an effort and be her friend. Sue me. I didn't know that was a crime."

"So what's going to happen between the two of you?"

"I don't know, Zack. When we went to Baltimore, it was like she was this whole new person that I fell for. She was so chilled out, different to how she used to be. So how come we've come back to Miami and she's not the girl I want but is just that same girl I never wanted in the first place?"

"Maybe she was never going to be the girl you wanted her to be." Dolph suggested.

"Are you going to break up with her?"

The other two guys winced at the harshness of Zack's words but Kofi didn't flinch at all. "I think I have to."

* * *

"Well, that was a pile of crap." As he unlocked the door, arriving home from the movie theatre, Jack groaned at Tiffany's choice of film that night. "I don't get why that chick didn't whoop her sister's ass. After all, she got together with her ex. Isn't it like, girl code that you don't do that or whatever? I don't know why they tried to make it some epic romance."

"You're meant to focus the love that Eric and Samantha shared and the forgiveness that Sandra Bullock's character showed." She explained.

"That's the last time you get to pick the movie."

"So stop losing at Scissors, Paper, Stone. You should stop picking the same choice everytime – I've got your strategy nailed."

"You're so smart, I love that." Once they were inside, he wrapped Tiffany up in his arms and kissed her on the lips. Had he felt this way about another girl before? No way. When he was with her, he felt utterly stripped back, like all he was and all he could be was this good guy that wanted to do what was best for her. Strangely enough, he didn't mind that.

"Looks like they didn't enjoy their film much either." She pulled away with a giggle and pointed over to the couch where Eve, Ted, Kelly and Dolph were all fast asleep with the credits playing from the movie they'd been watching. She yawned. "Wow, I'm pretty tired too."

"You ready for bed?"

With a nod, she followed Jack up the stairs and into his room. As soon as she was in there with him, the door closed behind them, she became very aware of where she was and what might happen.

Something she wasn't ready to happen.

Ever since Tiffany and Jack had gotten together, she'd slept in her bedroom at night and he'd stayed in his. Neither commented on it, even though they knew that eventually it would come up. She had a feeling it was about to occur and she could already feel the colour rising in her cheeks.

"Are you okay?" Jack asked, closing the curtains.

"Yeah, fine."

"No, you're not. What's up?"

She sunk down onto the edge of his bed and said "You know I'm a virgin…don't you?" He nodded. "Um, I'm still not ready to do anything and I don't know how long it'll be before I am ready. If that's a problem for you, I understand, but I just don't want you to be disappointed if something doesn't happen right away."

Jack came and sat down next to her, taking her hand and smiling. "I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought about," he confessed. "But sex ruined my last relationship so I'm not going to let that happen again. If you're not ready, that's cool. I can wait."

"So…you're not mad?"

"Tiff, I spent so long chasing you, it's going to take a lot more than this to get rid of me." He kissed her cheek. "Crash in here tonight? I promise I won't…do anything."

Agreeing, partly because she was too sleepy to argue, she kicked off her shoes and sweater before getting under the covers. Jack lay down next to her, making no effort to get under the sheets with her. His arm fell around her waist and he whispered "G'night Tiff" before she fell asleep.

* * *

A little Jack-heavy, maybe, but I enjoyed writing this :)  
Please **review**! xx


	30. The Perfect Two

I definitely rushed the Eve/Ted/Cody/Mickie parts of this so I'm not happy with those but the other bits, I'm fine with :)  
Sorry it's been awhile - super busy summer etc.  
Anyway, the last chapter of this will be chapter 36 so I hope you stick with me till the end and keep reviewing.  
Here's chapter 30 :)

* * *

**THE PERFECT TWO**

* * *

"_In the summer time, when the weather is high, you can stretch right up and touch the sky..._"

The sound of Mungo Jerry playing on the boardwalk brought a smile to Eve's face as she shimmied along to the music, singing away happily, much to the amusement of her two male companions. "I guess there's a reason you're a dancer and not a singer." Cody said with a smirk.

"Hey! Back me up here, Ted?"

"Sorry but I'm with Cody on this one."

Pretending to be angry, she stormed on ahead, her arms folded across her chest with faux stubbornness. She wasn't really upset; in general, she was the happiest she'd been in a long time. Although the situation with her father still hung at the back of her mind, she was content with the friendships she had and her relationship with Ted, which was the strongest it had ever been. Despite the fact there wasn't much time left in Miami, she wanted to enjoy herself as much as possible.

"Hey, watch where you're going!"

Caught in her thoughts, she'd been distracted and bumped into someone. When she focused her vision, however, Eve wished she'd bumped into the woman in front of her a little harder. "You!"

"Oh my God." Mickie too seemed to only just realise it was Eve that bumped into her.

She didn't look happy but when she attempted to carry on walking, Eve grabbed her shoulder and announced "I'm not done. You can't just pull a load of crap behind my back and then ignore me." The actions of Mickie weren't forgotten and having not had the chance to confront her about it, Eve was ready for a smackdown.

"I'm not looking for trouble, Eve." Mickie went to walk away but once again, she was stopped.

"Feeling guilty? Or just pissed off that your attempts to break up me and Ted didn't work?" By this point, Cody and Ted had caught up with the two and other boardwalk passers were craning their necks to see the drama. Mickie's cheeks were pink as she tried to avoid Eve's gaze. "That's what I thought."

"I'm done here–"

"Well, I'm not."

As Mickie went to leave again, Eve stepped in her path but to get her to move, the petite girl shoved the taller brunette aside. The furious look on Eve's face told the whole story and as it looked like she might lunge at Mickie, Ted pulled his girlfriend away, leaving Cody to hold Mickie back.

"Get off me!" Mickie grumbled bitterly, disappearing into the crowd of people with Cody hot on her heels.

* * *

There were worse things a girl could wake up to than a shirtless guy coming out from the bathroom and it was certainly a pleasant wake-up call for Maryse, who raised an eyebrow at the pleasant package in front of her. Muscular, puppy-eyed, white-teethed...did she mention shirtless? Realising her gaze was fixed north of his boxers and south of his face, she looked up at him with a smile.

"Good morning." He nodded at her with something of a bashful smile.

"It certainly is." She held out a hand for him to take. "Maryse Ouellet. I don't believe we've met."

"No, we haven't met. I'd definitely remember a face like yours." He said with a smile, still holding onto her hand. "I'm a friend of Kelly's – we're just hanging out for the day." _A friend?_ Maryse thought to herself, eyeing up the tasty man candy in front of her. Kelly certainly had good taste in men if this was her latest conquest.

"I see you've met John." From the bottom of the stairs, Kelly called up to the pair, a smile on her face.

"Yes, you didn't tell me the new man in your life was so handsome." Her flirting was blatant but Maryse knew there was nothing a man liked more than having his ego stroked.

"He's not my 'new man'," Kelly told her decisively, lowering her voice as John disappeared into the kitchen to get himself a drink. "He's a friend of Randy's and since he left, John's been good company – and no, not in _that_ way, as a friend. It's nice hanging out with someone and not having to worry about all the Kofi and Randy stuff that's been on my mind."

"So if you're not going to make a move on him...?"

"He's all yours."

With a roll of her eyes, she watched as the French-Canadian sauntered into the kitchen, ready to hook her claws into John. Just as she was left alone to pick up a copy of _People_ that sat on the coffee table, Mike came down the stairs. "Sounds like someone's having a party down here." He commented, entering the living room. As his eyes flicked over to the kitchen where Maryse and John were, he appeared to frown "Who's that guy Ryse is with?"

"A friend of mine – John Cena. Her latest victim, I'm thinking."

"Is she interested in him?"

"Just look at him, she'd be insane not to be." The blonde disappeared out the back door and onto the beach, leaving Mike to stare at the couple in the kitchen.

As Maryse briefly turned her head away from John, she caught Mike staring at her through the glass of the kitchen door. Her eyes met his and her stomach seemed to do a one eighty flip as it happened. Remembering her conversation with Kelly and Alicia the other day, she thought about the look on their faces when she scoffed at the possibility of him liking her. Seeing his face and what looked to be disappointment on it, she couldn't quite define how she felt.

Guilt? Maybe.

She found it difficult to keep him out of her thoughts whilst she spoke to John. In fact, no matter how hard she'd tried, she'd found it hard to keep Mike out of her thoughts for the past few days. She constantly found herself questioning her feelings about Mike, trying to think of him in _that_ way. It was hard. He'd been such a good friend to her that seeing him in any other fashion wasn't easy.

But if she looked at him objectively, Mike wasn't a bad guy. Okay, at times he was a bastard but at times, she was a bitch so neither of them could judge each other; in fact, it was one of the reasons they got on so well. He was there for her, through the good and the bad. And yeah, there was the obvious stuff, like he was fun to be around and was handsome to boot.

When she turned back around and saw he was gone, the guilt continued to fill up her stomach.

* * *

"Here," Coming back from the beach cafe with two bottles of water, Cody handed Mickie one of the drinks, watching as she sat upright from the sand and took a sip. After the confrontation with Eve earlier, he'd stayed with the brunette but she hadn't spoken to him. "You can't really blame Eve, can you?"

"Oh, give me a break." He knew that would get her talking. "Why did you follow me if all you were going to do is lay into me about what happened with Ted?"

"I'm not going to 'lay into you'. And I wanted to make sure you didn't run off and do something stupid – which you haven't, unless you count you sitting on the beach with a face like thunder for half an hour as being stupid. Which actually, it sort of is."

She looked at Cody and allowed herself to smile. "Is this the part where I'm meant to open up to you about why I'm such a bitch and then break down in tears?"

"I'd rather you didn't – I'm not particularly good with crying girls."

"I'm not going to cry." She assured him, one of her fingers tracing lines in the sand. "I seem to have a thing about going for guys with girlfriends – I don't really know why, there's probably some awkward psychological thing going on there. Ted was no different, I guess."

"Maybe you could, I don't know, not go for guys in relationships?" He suggested.

"Believe me, I wish I never went for Ted in the first place – I just...I liked him. I've gone after guys with girlfriends before but with Ted, it was more than him being good-looking. He's your best friend; you know that he's like, the nicest guy in the world."

"He's also completely in love with Eve – has been ever since she started at our school last year. I don't think there's anything you could've done to change his mind. Even if I got Megan Fox to seduce him, he'd probably still stick with Eve. Your plan was flawed from the beginning."

"Thanks." She replied sarcastically. "Whatever, I'm done with it now. I can't wait to get out to California and make a fresh start."

"In the same state as Ted?" He smiled back at her. "It's alright – at least you know people."

"I hardly think Ted and Eve are going to offer to help me unpack in my dorm."

"They won't, but I might."

* * *

Kofi knew he had to break up with Alicia and he wanted to get it done as quickly and painlessly as possible. Doing it in the house with everyone around seemed cruel and if there was potential for her to get angry, he didn't want to do it somewhere like a restaurant. He decided that the basketball courts where he'd been that afternoon with the guys seemed like a wise choice.

Evening was coming in and Alicia arrived at about six pm. No-one else was there so it was just the two of them. Kofi felt oddly nervous but he knew this was something he'd have to do. When she saw him sat over on the bleachers, she waved and went over to join him.

"Hey," she kissed him on the cheek.

"Hey, have you had a good day?"

"Yeah, it's been fun. Brie, Rosa and I went out for lunch and then got mani-pedis. Hilarious because Brie's convinced that pregnancy's made her feet swell. Obviously that's going to happen sooner or later but at the moment, she's fine." Looking around at her surroundings, she paused. "So why did you want to meet me here?"

"I've been here this afternoon. Plus, this wasn't something I wanted to do in the house."

"What're you talking about?"

"I'm just gonna come out and say it." He decided. "Leesh, we can't be together anymore."

Considering the amount they'd been fighting, Kofi was surprised at how shocked Alicia looked. The last time they'd broken up, she'd seen it coming but this time, she seemed completely caught off-guard.

"Seriously?" She was in disbelief. "Is this about Kelly?"

"You know, when you asked me that last time, I said no–"

"–even though straight after you broke up with me, you got together with her–"

"–but this time it is about her." He replied. "Not because of my feelings but because you're so paranoid about her. You spent about eighty percent of our time picking fights with me. Can't you just be happy?"

He didn't notice that a tear had slipped out from her eye, which she hastily wiped away. "You don't get it, do you? It was only ever you. I never stopped loving you – I still love you now. Why couldn't you have ever felt about me the way you did about her?"

"Leesh–"

"Don't tell me it's not true because I know it is. If she hadn't cheated and hurt your pride so badly, you'd still be with her. The truth is, no matter how bad what she did was, you never stopped loving her. All I wanted was for you to reciprocate my feelings. Be honest, no lies because I see straight through them, do you still love Kelly?"

He was so used to seeing Alicia mad that seeing her genuinely upset knocked Kofi for six. "I haven't forgiven her for cheating on me but yeah, I still love her."

Alicia put her head in her hands and sighed, another tear falling from her eye. When she looked up again, she shook her head. "I can keep fighting you about it, telling you to stay away from her but it won't change anything." She got up off the bleachers and began walking away but not before asking "If you hadn't met Kelly, do you think I could've been the girl you wanted?"

"Probably." He admitted.

She nodded and all Kofi could do was watch as she walked away. It could've been Alicia, it would've been so much simpler if it was Alicia, but it just had to be Kelly.

* * *

Was it possible that Dolph was actually bored of partying? He'd rejected an invitation to go out for the night with Eve, Ted and Kelly and was instead sat in the study, watching movies on the internet and drinking the last can of Budweiser he'd found in the refrigerator. The only other person in the house was Alicia, who'd come home around seven complaining of a headache before disappearing up to her bedroom and not appearing since.

Everyone else was out and the house, other than the sound from the speakers, was silent. The only other time it was usually this quiet was if you got up first thing in the morning after a night out, because everyone else was still in bed. The quiet was definitely a change but it was quite nice to have some time alone.

That was until he sound the front door opening downstairs. Dolph paused the movie and left the study to see who had come home. "Hello?" He called from the top of the stairs but received no response. After going down the stairs, he saw Nikki in the kitchen, scouring the cupboards in search of something. "Is everything alright?"

She turned to look at him and straight away, Dolph knew she was drunk. Her straightened hair was messy and her mascara smudged under her eyes. She was teetering around in a pair of stilettos and he couldn't see what she was wearing because a large, man's coat covered her up, her long legs the only things on show.

Looking at him with pouty lips and squinting eyes, she asked "Do we have anything to drink?" She spied the Budweiser can in his hand and muttered, "Gimme," swiping it from him and taking a sip.

"I think you've had enough," he commented, taking it back off her. "You had a date tonight, didn't you? What happened?" What he meant was, why are you home at ten pm, completely hammered and looking the worst he'd seen her.

"I don't want to talk about it." She continued searching through the cupboards until she found a half empty bottle of vodka. Popping open the cap, she took a long sip and squinted at the bitter aftertaste. "Why're you looking at me like that?"

"Because I want to know what happened."

"Well, when you started screwing Little Miss Rodeo, you lost the pass that lets you know what's going on in my life."

Dolph wasn't the most emotionally aware of guys but he could tell that something had definitely happened that was getting Nikki down. He cautiously approached her, putting his hands on her shoulders. "Niks–"

"Just get off me, Dolph." She shrugged herself out of his touch. "You're the last person I want to talk to about this."

"What?"

"Leave me alone!" She began flouncing off but he was going to let her get away that easily, as he reached out again and grabbed her arm. "God, you're always…_there_, aren't you!" She screeched, infuriated.

He looked at her through narrowed eyes. "Have I done something wrong?"

"Yes, you've done something wrong! I'm on a date with a great guy and when he brings up my ex boyfriends, I start crying because of you! Of course, no-one wants to hang out with the drunk crying girl so he gives me his jacket and puts me in the back of a cab and sends me home to the ex boyfriend that fucked me up in the first place."

She had squared up to Dolph, almost as tall as him in her heels, her drunk, hazy eyes staring directly into his. Drunken Nikki was usually happy and a bit of a slut but this girl was possessed.

"I fucking hate you. I hate how you cheated on me and how since then, I haven't been able to like a guy as much as I liked you – which is surprising considering what a bastard you are." She whispered angrily. "You know what else I hate about you? I hate how you don't even realise how much you hurt me. I also hate that you haven't come out of this as badly as me. And you know what I hate most of all? Your hair."

"My hair?" He ran a hand through his hair.

"Yeah, I hate your dyed, blonde, over-preened, product-filled, ridiculous-looking hair. If only you spent as much time looking after me as you did that stupid mop!" So what did Nikki do to show how angry – and drunk – she was? She took the bottle of vodka off of the kitchen counter and poured it over his head.

She expected him to yell at her for what she did and in some ways, she wanted the fight. "I probably deserved that." He wasn't going to give her the satisfaction. "But I'm gonna go upstairs before you do something you regret."

He left her standing alone in the kitchen and she realised that when she said what she hated most about Dolph was his hair, she'd lied. What she hated most about him was that she didn't actually hate him at all.

* * *

Okay, it went a little 10 Things I Hate About You at the end but whatever, it seemed to fit :)  
Please **review**! xx


	31. Baggage

Thank you for the reviews! Wanted to get an update done before I go on holiday from the 27th-2nd :)  
Here's chapter 31...

* * *

**BAGGAGE**

* * *

Cody was not a morning person. Often he found it difficult to get his brain functioning before midday and sometimes, it took an energy drink or two to get him moving, which was why at eleven thirty, he was finding it difficult to distinguish which voice is was, coming into his bedroom and greeting him a little too enthusiastically.

"Outta bed, lazy bones!" A female's voice sang out and bounced on the edge of his bed. When he opened his eyes, he saw Eve there, a wide smile on her face.

"What do you want?" He grumbled, turning over so his head was buried in his pillow. Definitely too early, even for one of his best friends.

"You promised you'd take me out for brunch – you lost our game of volleyball yesterday therefore you're paying."

"No–"

"Come on, bacon, French toast, pancakes–" she was luring him in "–you know that's a tempting offer. I'll even get your clothes out ready for you. Like your own personal stylist."

"Ha! The last thing I need is a stylist; my style is flawless." He said smugly from his bed as Eve rifled through his drawers.

"Ooh, what's this? I've seen you in a few tight t-shirts before but this is ridiculous. Clearly a woman's top."

"Well, it is a woman's top. It's Mickie's." He shrugged innocently at the slim-fitting American Apparel hoodie the brunette was holding up. Getting up to go to the bathroom, Eve blocked his path as he tried to get out. "What're you doing? I thought you wanted me to get up?"

"Mickie? As in crazy Mickie that tried to break me and Ted up?" She was practically spitting out her words – very few people had that effect on her. "Did she stay here last night?"

"No, she left it behind yesterday. I'll call her and get her to come pick it up if it's upsetting you–"

"I do _not_ want her coming around here...and you have her number? I bet it's 6-6-6..."

"Listen, I know what she did was bad, but she's...she's not actually a bad person." He was trying to reason with Eve, mainly because it was too early for her high-pitched screeches but also because after spending the whole day with Mickie, he'd gotten to know her quite well and had decided that underneath her cunning actions was actually just an insecure girl that wanted to be loved. He had this psychology stuff nailed.

"I hope when you say 'she's not actually a bad person' you plan on continuing by saying what an evil witch she is–"

"She's really not–"

"She's a psycho!"

"It's tough for her, she's been through a lot–"

"Oh yeah, when she was trying to ruin my relationship with Ted, I'm sure it was a really difficult time for her." Eve commented sarcastically, tossing a towel in Cody's direction. "Whatever, just talking about her infuriates me. Go shower up and wash all the Mickie germs off of you."

She followed him out into the hallway before going downstairs to the living room where Ted was on the phone. "...yeah, that's great. I'll look forward to meeting him. Great. Bye."

"What was that about?"

"I just spoke to your dad's assistant at the newspaper. Before we leave Miami, we're going to go see your dad and sort this mess out."

"He agreed to see me?"

"Not exactly. I told his assistant I was a high school senior that wanted to get into journalism and wondered if I could speak to someone about what the best route in was, preferably Frederick." He announced decisively. "Obviously we're going to go and surprise him, return his wallet and get some sort of conclusion from this whole mess."

"Wow."

"This is what you want, right?"

"Of course." She nodded, letting him lace his fingers through hers. "It's just...you've been so amazingly supportive about this whole thing. Another guy would probably have given up on me."

"You know I'd do anything to be there for you."

Giving him a soft kiss on the lips, she smiled sweetly. "Love you. Come on, Cody's buying us brunch."

* * *

When Kaitlyn called Dolph to say she was coming back from Texas, he knew he should've been excited but instead, all he could think about was Nikki.

After showering up and getting the smell of vodka out of his hair, he thought about all the stuff she'd said and realised that Nikki was a lot more sensitive than he originally thought. One of the reasons he got together with her in the first place was because she was so fun-loving and didn't seem to have as many emotionally issues as other girls but her words proved that wasn't the case.

When he ended things between them, he'd hurt her and he wasn't sure if he could repair the damage he'd caused, even if he wanted to. From what he gathered, she _hated _him, truly despised him for what he did, there wasn't even a chance of getting their friendship back on track. Truth be told, up until the point where she tipped the contents of a vodka bottle over his head, he just wanted to wrap her up in his arms and tell her how sorry he was.

The morning after, the plan was to go into her bedroom and talk to her but just as he was ready to knock, his cell phone rang and he received a call from Kaitlyn, telling him she'd arrived back in town last night and wanted to meet up. Dolph agreed and sat in a cafe by the beach, waiting for her to arrive. He wasn't sure of what he was going to do but if there was anything he'd learnt from this summer, it was that honesty was always the best policy.

"Guess who?" His thoughts were cut by a pair of hands covering his eyes, before they let go and Kaitlyn sat down in the chair opposite him, a wide smile on her face. She looked very easy and relaxed, in denim shorts and a tank top, with her hair tied up in a loose ponytail.

"How was Texas?"

"Most of the time was spent dealing with my older sister – she thinks she's really badass but she just got back from a year of travelling and my parents were 'worried about her' and thought we needed to spend some quality time together. Didn't really work though but hey, I'm just glad to come back to Miami for a week or so."

He nodded, taking a sip of his coke.

"You seem distracted – and you sounded it when I spoke to you on the phone. What's going on?"

"Women."

She raised an eyebrow and laughed. "Why do I have a feeling this has something to do with that Nikki chick you told me about?"

"Because it does." And for some reason, he explained the whole situation to Kaitlyn. Normally he wouldn't be so open with someone he was dating but with her, it was like talking to a friend he could be completely open with. She listened, laughing when he told her about the vodka incident but 'aww'-ing when he told her all the things she said. "So now I don't know what to do." He said once the story was over.

Kaitlyn waited for a moment before saying "I think when you were with her, you took her for granted. I don't think you ever knew quite how much she liked you and now you know, you feel bad...which you should because she's obviously a sensitive girl."

"But she doesn't–"

"Yes, I know, you told me she doesn't seem sensitive, yadda yadda yadda, but she clearly is. It's only the sensitive girls that throw drinks at men when they're drunk. Those and the angry ones."

"You're getting off-topic."

"My point is, the two of you need to sort things out. If not for your relationship, but for your friendship."

"That's hardly the reaction I expected from a girl I'm seeing."

"Dolph, we both knew this was only a summer-long thing. You're going back to California in a couple of days, I'm returning to Texas... I'm not a long distance kind of girl and I highly doubt you're a long distance kind of guy. Nikki, on the other hand, you might just have a future with. Why jeopardise that for a summer fling with me?"

He smiled across the table at her. "You're incredible, you know that? Literally, you're the coolest girl I know."

"Don't let Nikki hear you say that. But of course. I'm legendary, which is why you're going to Skype me every week." With a wink, she leaned over and took a sip of his coke. "I'd love to stay and chat but Naomi and I are going shopping."

The pair said their goodbyes and promised to stay in touch, before Dolph watched Kaitlyn saunter out of the cafe, giving him a wave as she left. If it weren't for Nikki, Kaitlyn was someone he could really find himself falling for. Until then, he had to find a way to show his ex how much he cared.

He had to change all the things she hated about him.

* * *

They say good things come to those that wait, but Mike was sick of waiting around. He'd spent his whole summer waiting around for something to happen with Maryse and just as he thought it might, he found Maryse in the kitchen, flirting with some beefcake friend of Kelly's. Embarrassed, angry, hurt; he was all of the above and more, but Zack and Rosa were unaware of this and were surprised to find Mike packing his bags in his bedroom.

"What're you doing?" Zack asked from the doorway.

"Leaving – I'm getting a flight back to L.A tonight and I'm going home. I'm not hanging around here any longer."

"Why?"

"Because I'm here in Miami, waiting around for Maryse to realise she wants to be with me and yesterday I realised that's not going to happen. There's no point me being here so I'm going home."

The couple looked at each other in disbelief at Mike's sudden outburst; they were completely aware that he had feelings for the French-Canadian but they didn't know they ran quite this deep – deep enough that he was actually considering leaving Miami because she'd hurt him.

"Maybe you should think things through before you rush into this–"

"I've spent the whole summer 'thinking things through' and I've been sat in my room since yesterday, 'thinking things through' and I've decided to leave."

"Is this about that guy she was flirting with yesterday? John?" Rosa cut in. "That's one of Kelly's friends – he's cute but she was just flirting with him, it didn't actually mean anything."

"Well, I don't know how many guys I can handle seeing her 'just flirt with'." He sat down on the edge of his bed, putting his head in his hands. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I've never been like this before–"

"Okay, firstly, stop putting things I say in air quotes. And secondly, you've never been in love before. That's why you're acting the way you are."

"Whatever. I'm just...I'm so sick of waiting around for something that isn't going to happen. Because that's what I've been doing in Miami – waiting for Maryse to realise that Wade, Jack, Cody...none of those guys are good enough for her and I'm the one she should be with. I basically told her I was in love with her but she just sees me as a friend. I can't even make her realise how I feel–"

"Maryse knows." Both Rosa and Mike turned their heads to look at Zack, still stood in the doorway. "I heard Kelly talking to that John guy about it. I don't know whether she feels the same way as you do – Kelly didn't seem to think she'd made her mind up yet – but at least she knows."

"See!" Rosa jumped to Mike's side, an eager smile on her face. "You have to stay, just to see how she feels about you. If you leave, you'll only end up regretting it."

Mike hated not being right, especially when it came to women. After all, the 'Chick Magnet' considered himself to be something of an expert in that area. Looking over at his two friends, he found himself rolling his eyes and agreeing to stay. "Fine – I'll stay till the end of the trip."

"That wasn't so hard, was it?" She pinched one of his cheeks. "God you're so dramatic sometimes. Threatening to go back to Beverly Hills? What a drama queen!"

* * *

Kelly's bed was barely visible underneath the heaps of clothes that covered it. Jeans, shirts, skirts, dresses, scarves; they'd all been sprawled over the duvet cover and it wasn't improved when Maryse came into the bedroom with an armful of her own items as well.

"Here," the French-Canadian tossed a candyfloss pink babydoll in her friend's direction and signalled at the silver sling backs on the bed. "Those would go perfectly."

"Cute, definitely." Kelly agreed, standing in front of the mirror and holding the dress against her. "I haven't seen you wear this one before. New?"

"No, my mom bought it for me during one of her trips to Paris about a year ago but I've just never fallen in love with it. I brought it to Miami, thinking I'd find an opportunity to wear it but I haven't. You can have it, if you want."

"Really? Thanks." She smiled at the girl that was once her best friend as she slipped into the pink dress. Although Kelly and Maryse had moved past the hatred that was once there between them, neither had ever properly acknowledged what happened and how they went from being best friends to the worst of enemies. Was now, just before going out for the night together, the right time to bring it up?

"Perfect." Maryse stood behind her in the mirror, adjusting the straps and pulling out the skirt of the dress. "I don't think we've got ready for a night out together since freshman homecoming. Do you remember? We both brought our dresses in Donna Karen bags and I freaked out because I thought you might have the same dress as me."

Kelly smiled; how could she forget? Back then, before her mom's financial problems, she could actually afford a Donna Karen prom dress. She also remembered that night because it was the beginning of the end when it came to her friendship with Maryse. In what was considered a surprise win, Kelly won freshman prom queen and Maryse never really forgave her for it. Of course, at the time, she had no idea; it was only during Kelly's pregnancy that Maryse took the chance to turn on her; sneakiness and waiting for the right moment paid off.

"I was so mad at you when you won freshman prom queen."

"I know, I remember." Kelly said with a smile.

"I was so obsessed with social status and a plastic crown that I lost sight of what was most important; the girl that was once my best friend." The head cheerleader pulled out the now-heated hair curlers and ran them through Kelly's hair. "If I'd have won, I know you'd have been at the side of the stage cheering for me and I should've done the same."

It seemed crazy to Kelly that Maryse was apologising for what happened those three years ago. She was about to reply to her old friend but as she opened her mouth, the bedroom door opened and Alicia was stood there, a face like thunder.

"I need to talk to Kelly." Her eyes travelled over to Maryse, who simply raised an eyebrow back at an Alicia in a 'Who do you think you're talking to?' manner. "Alone."

"Did you shove that stick up her ass? I'll meet you downstairs." Maryse whispered to Kelly before disappearing out of the room, leaving the frenemies stood opposite each other. The tension in Kelly's bedroom could have been cut with a knife, as Alicia's icy cold stare cut through the blonde.

"I bet you're really happy with yourself, aren't you?"

"I would be if I knew what you were talking about. What have I done this time?"

"Kofi broke up with me yesterday."

The nice side of Kelly felt slightly sorry for Alicia; being on the wrong end of a break-up was never nice, but the devil on her shoulder felt smug, knowing how conniving Alicia had been towards her. "I'm sorry–"

"No, you're not, and neither is he." She cut her off. "All I ever did was try to be the best girlfriend possible but it was only ever about you."

"He said that to you?"

"He may as well have. I asked him point blank, if he hadn't met you, would I be the one he wanted, and he said probably. He can deny it as much as he wants but I know that he's still in love with you and I can't compete with that."

Unable to believe what Alicia was saying, Kelly was speechless. She opened her mouth to talk but nothing came out.

"So? Are you happy?"

All she wanted was for things to be back the way they were between her and Kofi and no matter how hard they tried, she knew that probably wouldn't happen because he wouldn't trust her or put her on a pedestal like he once did. "No." Kelly admitted sadly.

"Well you're stupid. Do you know how much I'd kill to be in your shoes? It doesn't matter how badly you mess up, Kofi will always love you."

_Then why doesn't he want to me with me_?Kelly thought to herself, despite the fact she knew the answer loud and clear. "Kofi's a good guy, you know that, and I don't think he'd ever intend to hurt anyone–"

"Just because you don't intend to hurt anyone, doesn't mean you're not going to. And sometimes, when you intend to hurt someone, they still come out smelling like roses." Alicia's eyes moved up and down Kelly, hating the perfect blonde for being just that; perfect.

"You wanted to hurt me?" Alicia didn't say anything in response. She left Kelly's bedroom but the blonde followed her out, along the hallway to the bedroom Alicia had shared with Kofi. Going inside, there was a packed suitcase sat on the bed with an airplane ticket sat on top. "What're you doing?"

"I have an aunt in Ponte Vendre Beach; I'm going to stay with her for a while. I don't want to hang around here anymore."

"So you're gonna stay there for the rest of the summer?"

"Maybe I'll even move to one of the school's down here for senior year – all I know is I'm sick of...this." Alicia picked up her suitcase, dragged it down the stairs and outside where a taxi was waiting for her. "As much as I hate saying this, Kofi can say what he wants but he's not over you and you guys need to work out whatever's going on between you. Either get together or break up for good because dragging all this out isn't going to make things any easier."

No more words were said as Alicia climbed into the cab and sped off down the road. Finding it difficult to process what just happened, Kelly's feet were rooted on the spot and it was Maryse that appeared at her side, holding her fellow blonde's hand and squeezing it. "I heard what Alicia said – are you okay?"

"Yeah." She gave a small nod, still staring out at the road.

"Do you still want to go out?"

"I think so. I need a drink more than ever now."

* * *

Goodbye Alicia!  
I wanted to get rid of one of the characters and I couldn't bear to kill any of them so this was my way of doing so!  
There's definitely going to be 36 chapters in total so now this one's done, there's 5 left.  
Please **review** :) xx


	32. The Last Night: Part 1

Thank you for the reviews so far :) Enjoy!

* * *

**THE LAST NIGHT: PART 1**

* * *

"This place is creepy." Ascending the stairs of the Miami Herald and coming up to the main office, Ted found the dark room rather eerie. Computer screens glowed and hummed but other than one man sat at his desk, headphones blocking him out from the rest of the room, it was deserted.

"So let's get out of here," Eve encouraged. "We'll meet everyone at Dunes and have a great night–"

"And you'll take your dad's wallet back to California with you?" Whether she liked it or not, he was going to sort the situation between her and her father. "No, that's not going to happen. We can meet everyone later – I know you're worried about seeing your dad again but you need to do this, for both your sakes."

They approached the door of Frederick Torres' office and Ted took it upon himself to knock. Someone replied from inside with what sounded like a 'come in' so they pushed open the door.

Seeing his daughter was the last thing Frederick expected so when he was greeted by Eve, he sat back in his chair, stunned. "I'm actually supposed to be meeting someone–"

"Yep, that'd be me." Ted raised a hand. "I assumed you wouldn't want to meet with Eve considering what's happened between the two of you so I took it upon myself to arrange something."

Frederick looked at the man in front of him in surprise at his forwardness before turning to his daughter. "I didn't expect to see you again."

"Neither did I, but you left this behind at Starbucks the other day." She put his wallet down on the desk.

"I shut down my cards the second it went missing but thank you anyway."

"You also left this." She lay the baby photo down next to it. "I want to know everything, _Dad._"

* * *

Montel didn't know quite what had happened.

One minute, he was in a club with all his friends, celebrating their last night in Miami without a care in the world. The next, his girlfriend was clutching at her stomach, doubled over in pain as she told him that something was seriously wrong and she didn't know what it was.

"It feels like I'm going into labour," Brie had shouted at him over the music, as he escorted her out of the club, "but it can't be because I'm only a couple of months along! And I haven't been to any of the birth classes yet – I don't know what to do, I'm not ready to have a baby! Oh my God, what if it's not labour and I've lost the ba–"

"No, you can't talk like that! It must be normal but we'll take you to the hospital to be sure."

So there he was, sat in a hospital waiting room whilst the doctor checked out Brie. Although he'd tried to put on a brave face, telling her everything would be fine – she'd be okay and so would the baby – he was just as frightened as she was. What could he do, other than try to assure her? He was just a seventeen year old that wanted to do right by his girlfriend. He'd told her everything would be fine but he didn't know that for sure; he just said it to stop her worrying.

Despite trying to keep all negative thoughts out of his mind, he couldn't help but wonder what if something _was_ wrong. Montel wasn't that old but he was already planning his whole future around this baby; all his friends just had to focus on college but he had another person to think about – no, people. Himself, Brie and their baby.

The wait was killing him. He'd been sat there for half an hour and no-one had come out to tell him what was going on. Just as he was about to ask someone what the hell was taking so long, the door opened and Brie came out, followed by Dr Becker. Neither of them looked too dismal, which he thought was a good sign, and under his girlfriend's shirt, her belly still looked as rounded as when she'd gone in.

"How are you? How's the baby?" He got to his feet and wrapped an arm around his girlfriend.

"We're both fine." She sighed, resting her head wearily against Montel's shoulder, obviously tired out from the turmoil.

"It was a case of Braxton Hicks contractions," the doctor explained "also known as 'false labour' or 'practise contractions'. They're a tightening of the uterine muscles – some mothers experience them before birth, others don't, however usually the start around the second or third trimester."

"So it's uncommon?" He confirmed, knowing Brie wasn't that far along.

"Some mothers can experience them as early as six weeks, like Brie here, but the main thing is that the baby and the mother are absolutely fine."

Relieved, he thanked the doctor and led Brie out of the hospital and onto the street outside. Once they were outside, he let out a sigh of relief. She didn't look sure of what she was meant to say, as she nervously chewed on her lower lip. "I was scared back there, Brie." He admitted, sitting down on a nearby wall.

"I know, so was I."

"Seriously, I was petrified and whatever I'm going through, it's gotta be ten times worse for you. I don't know how you're dealing with it."

This was the first time Brie had ever heard Montel speak like this; normally he was so strong, so composed. "Yeah, I am terrified because I'm seventeen years old and having a baby," she confessed, "but then I think about how lucky I am; I come from a wealthy family that cares about me, I have amazing friends and the father of my baby is going to be the best father in the world. Some girls aren't as lucky as I am and when I remember that, I'm not so scared anymore."

She rested her hands either side of his face and smiled lightly. "It's okay to worry – we don't know what the future's going to hold – but I know that when we get back to Beverly Hills, I'm going to have a baby and that baby is going to be the best thing that's ever happened to us." Kissing him on the lips, she pulled away after a few seconds. "Still afraid?"

"Not so much." He laughed, holding her close. "Where do you want to go now?"

The answer seemed obvious, as they climbed into a cab and headed back to the house.

* * *

"I've always carried that photo around in my wallet." Frederick admitted to the two teenagers sat in front of him, the other side of his desk. "Since you were a baby, it's been there."

"Even though you didn't want me in your life." Eve commented under her breath.

"It was never that I didn't want you…I thought I was doing what was best at the time. Maybe in hindsight, it wasn't the smartest move but back then, I didn't know how to look after a baby and even though I loved and adored you, I thought you'd be better off without me."

"You thought I'd be better not having a father figure?"

"I assumed your mom would meet someone–"

"Well, she didn't until I was a teenager. I remember when I was seven, we had a 'Bring Your Father to School' day and I had no-one to bring in. Some kids had step-dads, adopted parents, but I had nobody."

"I'm sorry–"

"My mom did her best, I always felt like something…someone was missing." From under the table, Eve felt Ted squeeze her hand encouragingly; having him there made the whole thing easier.

"There were times when I considered coming back, you know." Frederick told her. "I sometimes thought I'd made a mistake leaving you. On your tenth birthday, I wrote a card and I was about to mail it when something stopped me."

"What?"

"I thought coming back into your life, I might screw things up again. After all, I walked out so what gives me the right to walk back in again? I thought Carol might've found someone new and maybe there was another guy that you called dad. I gave up the right to know you years ago and if I came back, I didn't want to interrupt your life."

"But you kept the photo." She whispered.

"It was the only reminder I had of you."

"When I told you who I was, you turned me away. I gave you the opportunity to come into my life and you rejected me. I don't get it."

"You caught me off-guard. Put yourself in my shoes – a girl that's been interning with you turns out to be the daughter you haven't seen in seventeen years. Surprise doesn't quite cover how I felt and I froze." He picked up the photo of Eve and smiled softly. "I don't know how I didn't recognise you though – you haven't changed much."

She laughed.

"And your laugh's still the same."

_Why was she softening to this man?_ "It's been seventeen years so I'm not expecting you to suddenly become a model father but now I know you, it seems stupid to lose you again. And I get it, you're not 'father material' but do you really want to miss out on any more stuff in my life? There's so much more to come; turning eighteen, high school graduation, turning twenty one, college graduation, marriage, kids, grandkids… if you have a daughter, why would you want to miss out on that?"

He sighed. "You had to hit me with the sentimental stuff, didn't you?"

"I'm the daughter of a writer; I'm good with words."

Laughing, he scribbled something down on a piece of paper. "For when you go back to California; my cell phone number and my email address."

"Thank you."

"So are you Eve's boyfriend?" Frederick turned to Ted.

"Ted DiBiase." He held out a hand to shake.

"How long have the two of you been together?"

"Around six months."

"So it's serious then?"

"You have an amazing daughter, Mr Torres, one you'd be very lucky to get to know. I know my life's been bettered thanks to her."

"Wow, high praise indeed. Maybe you and I need to sit down together before you go back to California, talk about your intentions with my daughter and make sure they're honourable." Seeing the mortified look on Eve's face, Frederick laughed. "I'm kidding."

She smirked; she and her father didn't need a big emotional reunion because the one they had suited her just fine.

* * *

Whatever room she was in, Maryse was usually one of the most beautiful women in there, if not _the_ most beautiful, and on the group's last night in Miami, it was no exception, whatever club they entered. Wearing a figure-hugging black lace dress, Mike found it difficult to take his eyes off of her as she stood at the bar with Nikki, drinking her cocktail without a care in the world.

"It's your last chance." Zack said in Mike's ear when Nikki went off to dance with Rosa. "Go talk to her."

Mike turned around to look at his friend "I dunno…"

"Come on, bro, it's the last night! Now or never. If she says no, just blame it on the alcohol and if she says yes…well, you only have me to thank."

His plan was flawed but Zack was right; Mike needed to talk to her, before he drove himself mad.

Downing the shot Zack handed him for courage, he took a deep breath and walked towards Maryse but in a cruel twist of fate, the available seat next to her was no more as it was filled by someone tall, dark and handsome, whispering in her ear and bringing a smile to her face.

He was done. Mike was sick of the moment passing him by and someone else being there when it should've been him. That was it.

"Where are you going?" Zack asked as he saw his friend heading for the exit.

"Look!" He signalled over at the object of his desires. "I can't… I can't do this anymore – I've gotta go." He made his way out of the club and into the cool night air, little did he know he had someone on his tail.

Leaning back against the wall, he closed his eyes, wishing he'd never fallen for the blonde in the first place. He was the Beverly Hills Chick Magnet and yet when it came to Maryse, every rule he ever had was broken.

"There you are," the club door swung open and in her skyscraper heels, the girl in question came tottering over, practically eye-to-eye with him, thanks to her shoes. "Zack said you wanted to talk to me."

"Zack's drunk, don't listen to him."

"Really? You don't have anything to say to me?"

Mike shook his head.

If he wasn't going to take the plunge, Maryse knew it was up to her. "Well, I have something to say to you." Fortunately, her actions spoke louder than words as she leaned forwards, her hands either side of Mike's face, and kissed him softly on the lips. And if she wasn't sure whether she liked him before, the kiss confirmed it.

"I don't know what's going to happen between us," she began, their lips centimetres apart after she pulled away, "but I'm willing to find out."

"You want to be my girlfriend?" He couldn't believe any of this was happening.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. When we get back to Beverly Hills, you can take me on a date – one which you'll pay for – and we'll just go from there."

"Why do I get the feeling you're going to be a hard girl to please?"

She laughed, kissing him once more briefly, before taking his hand "come on, let's go back inside. It's still early and I want to dance."

"I'm not much of a dancer–"

"Well I am."

He was definitely going to have his hands full with her but he was more than up for the challenge.

* * *

Please **review** :) xx


	33. The Last Night: Part 2

Pretty sure I'm losing reviewers when it comes to this story :/ Oh well, there's only 3 more chapters after this one so I'm going to continue on!  
But thank you to everyone that continues to review! You guys are amazing.

* * *

**THE LAST NIGHT: PART 2**

* * *

The mood in the club was upbeat as the night went on and as Nikki – ever the social butterfly – circled the room, never without a drink in her hand or an admirer far away, she couldn't help but feel slightly saddened that the group would be leaving Miami the next day. This trip had been full of highs and lows but in reflection, it had been one of the best summers of her life.

"This night is about celebrating," she remembered Rosa telling her when they'd left the house earlier that night.

Taking that advice, she put a dazzling smile on her face and sauntered over to Maryse and Mike, who she'd noticed had been spending a lot of time together that night. "Niks!" The blonde was in a good mood, wrapping her friend up in a big hug. "This is Mike's friend, Alex," she put her hand one someone's shoulder, turning them around to reveal something tall, muscular and very handsome.

"Nice to meet you." He shook her hand.

"It certainly is." She replied before mouthing 'nice choice!' at her friend.

"I was just heading over to the bar – can I get you a drink?"

"Mine's a vodka gimlet, thank you very much." It only takes one drink to seal the deal and twenty minutes later, Nikki was perched on Alex's lap, giggling into his ear as he ran a thumb along the patch of skin where her top separated from her skirt. She'd always been a flirty girl and that wasn't going to change.

Feeling her cell phone vibrate inside her clutch, she got to her feet to see who she'd received a message from. It was, in fact, the one man she'd been trying to keep out of her thoughts all night.

_R U still Dunes? D x_

She sighed, tapping back a response. _What do u want?_

A couple of seconds later, her phone rang and Dolph was on the other end. "_You're still at Dunes, right?" _

"Yeah, well, we went to Cube for a bit but came back here. Anyway, what's going on? Why aren't you here with everyone in the first place?"

"_Come outside and I'll show you." _

"Stop playing around–"

"I'm serious, come out here!"

Another sigh. She looked over at Alex, who raised an eyebrow and mouthed 'what's up?'. "I'll be out in a minute." She hung up. "I have to sort something out but I'll be back soon."

Nikki exited the club and scanned the crowd of people outside in search of Dolph's blonde head, but she was greeted by nothing. Was he just playing her around? They haven't spoken since she tipped a bottle of vodka over his head so maybe he was–

"Looking for someone?"

Hearing Dolph's voice turned Nikki around but what she saw made her jaw drop. "Oh my God." She hadn't seen Dolph's blonde hair because he'd dyed his famous locks _brown_. "What the hell happened?"

"I dyed my hair – actually, Kaitlyn's friend Naomi did it, she's a hairdresser."

"But...why?" She couldn't believe it; Dolph without blonde hair was like Carrot Top without the gingerness. Or Puck from Glee without his Mohawk. Just wrong.

"When you were saying all that stuff you hated about me, there was a bunch of it I can't change – like the stuff I've done to hurt you. But I can change my hair, which you also hated," he ran a hand through the cropped brown cut. "What do you think?"

"You dyed your hair because I said I didn't like it?" She felt the corners of her lips twitch up. While it sounded like the most ridiculous, childish thing she'd ever heard, it was also...incredibly sweet.

"Well I've been dying my hair since ninth grade so it's probably wise I stop dying it before it all falls out. I don't know if I can work the bald look." He laughed. "You like it?"

"Honestly? I prefer you blonde."

"But you said–"

"I didn't mean it, I was just drunk and mad. The truth is, whatever you do, I'll probably never hate you because I like you way too much."

"You do?"

She nodded.

"I ended things with Kaitlyn. She's an awesome girl but knowing I'd hurt you just made me feel guilty and it stopped me having fun with her. Like I said, Kaitlyn's great but Nikki Bella is even better."

"You're right, she is pretty incredible." The twin joked. Neither of them spoke and Dolph leaned in towards her for a kiss but she stopped him by placing a hand on his shoulder and pushing him back. "Not yet."

"But you–"

"I like you but I'm still forgiving you for what happened with Kaitlyn. I know I come across as a good time girl but you hurt me and I just think that for now, we're better off as friends. Maybe something could happen at another time or place but right now, I can't be with you." She saw his face drop and although she felt guilty, she knew she was doing the right thing for her. She cared for Dolph but she wasn't ready to jump into anything again. "You understand, right?"

"Yeah, I just can't believe I dyed my hair only to get rejected."

Unable to tell if he was joking or not, she leaned over and ruffled his new cut. "Don't worry Goldilocks, we'll dye your hair the second we touch down in Beverly Hills. Until then, let's go inside and show of your sophisticated new look."

"So you really prefer the blonde?"

"The brown looks better...but it's not you."

* * *

"Home sweet home," Tiffany sang as she and Jack arrived back at the beach house. It was quiet, not everyone was home but those that were must have been fast asleep. "I can't believe it's our last night in Miami." She sighed, falling back against the front door.

"I know, this summer's been amazing." Jack agreed, leaning into his girlfriend and kissing her on the lips.

"Mmm, best summer ever." She murmured into his mouth.

"Ooh, best summer ever? I dunno, last summer Maryse took me to Dubai–" He was cut off as Tiffany smacked him across the arm with her purse. "Kidding!"

They stopped talking as she kissed him again, their contact becoming more and more heated by the second. Until now it had been fairly clean between them but suddenly, it changed. Jack's hands toyed with the hem of her mini-dress whilst she seemed powerless to every move he made. She didn't feel pressured by him like before – it just felt natural.

"We should probably slow this down." He whispered, letting her go and making his way up the stairs. The last thing he wanted was to take advantage of his girlfriend or do something she wasn't ready for.

"No, don't," she stopped him on the landing, melting into his arms and pressing her lips against his.

"Tiff–"

"Jack." She looked at him with complete seriousness as her forehead rested against his, his warm breath against her cheek. "I'm ready."

Unsure of what to say, he stepped away from her. Was she drunk? Or horny and thinking she was ready to do something she wasn't ready for? Normally the drunk and horny girls were his favourite but Tiff was precious.

"I've been thinking about it since that night…where it almost happened but didn't." Her voice was low and hushed whilst she spoke, not wanting the other housemates to hear, when in fact, she made the whole thing sound rather dangerous, like she was on a mission. "And I thought if I were going to lose it to anyone, it's better it's my boyfriend instead of some random guy whilst I'm away at college, right?"

"Not exactly a sound argument, Tiff."

"I know, I know, that didn't come out how I wanted it to. What I mean is," she sighed, taking his hands. "I love you Jack and I know that I want my first time to be with you. And what better time to do it than here, on our last night in Miami? I want it to be right… I don't want us to say we'll do it when we're home but then have the whole thing become awkward, worrying about my parents coming into the room, or you know, your maid Jovita…"

Jack chuckled, kissing the back of his girlfriend's hand. "I just don't want you to do something you're not ready for."

"But I feel like I'm ready now. I've said no to you once before and I wouldn't be having this conversation with you if I didn't want it." She assured him. "Listen, I'm gonna go freshen up but I'll meet you in your room, okay?"

She went into the bathroom to brush her teeth, spray some perfume and change from her dress into her usual sleeping attire of a pair of grey shorts and one of Jack's basketball jerseys (there was also the quick steal of one of the condoms that the group had kept under the bathroom sink for emergencies – unlike most of the other girls in the house, she wasn't on the pill). Once finished, she went into Jack's room and saw the bed was made – which it hadn't been when they left – and he'd lit a candle. A simple gesture but he was trying.

"You okay?" He closed the door behind her and held her from behind her, his lips against her now-scented pulse point.

"Yes." She told him confidently.

"Tell me if you want me to stop at anytime."

If she didn't prove to him she was ready, he wouldn't believe her, so Tiffany stepped back and peeled the jersey off of her body, her boyfriend's eyes trailing her body. For a moment, she felt self-conscious but it didn't last long, as she soon had a whole load of other things to think about. She was suddenly greeted by feelings she'd never had before; skin on skin, hands in new places but more importantly, feeling closer to Jack than she ever had before.

At first, it hurt a little bit but when it was all said and done and the sun was rising over Miami, he pulled her in close, whispered that he loved her and she felt nothing could go wrong.

* * *

At some point that night, Kofi had managed to lose the rest of the group.

Somewhere between Dunes, Flo Club and the beach house, everyone else seemed to wander off, leaving him to make his own way home as he strolled down the boardwalk, contemplating his trip to Miami.

He looked down at the Rolex on his wrist – a present from Alicia whilst they were together; it was 4am, almost morning. In a few hours, they'd be leaving to return to Beverly Hills. He thought about when they left California for Florida; he'd come with Kelly, Kelly cheated on him, he broke up with Kelly, he got back together with Alicia, he'd broken up with Alicia because he still loved Kelly and now, he was single. Wasn't it strange the way life went? When he was with Kelly, it felt like it would last forever. When he was with Alicia the second time around, it felt like it had real longevity. How wrong he was, in both situations.

Being single again was like starting over. It was just under a year since he'd moved to Beverly Hills and since then, he'd been back and forth between two girls; Alicia and Kelly. Looking at where he was in that moment, he felt incomplete. The way things had ended with both girls didn't feel totally over.

Returning from his thoughts, the night air was cool and refreshing on his face, as he walked by the shore, his eyes casting down to the end of the pier. A figure stood in the darkness, a blur of long legs, blonde hair and a flimsy sequined dress, telling him all he needed to know as he walked to the end and met Kelly.

"What're you doing here?" He asked; it was much colder this close to the sea.

"I wanted to clear my head." Kelly replied wistfully.

"Well don't catch pneumonia doing it." He slung his jacket over her, watching as she pulled it tightly around her; not only because of its warmth but because of how much it reminded her of him, the smell and fabric so familiar. "The last night. Crazy, right?"

"I can't believe it. If you'd have told me two months ago that all this would have gone down, I'd have laughed and told you that you were being ridiculous. I organised this trip thinking how perfect it would be but...I don't know anymore."

"I can't get my head around it either."

With wide blue eyes, she looked up at him and he felt the way he did before all their fights; nothing but unconditional love. "When I think about everything I did, the ways I've hurt people...I feel awful. And I know I've told you this a hundred plus times but I regret what happened with Randy. I regret worrying so much because it was my own insecurities that drove us apart in the first place." She shivered as a gust of wind hit them. "Hopefully at some point in the future, you'll forgive me, but even then, I don't know if I can forgive myself."

"I haven't forgiven you yet." He said with a small laugh. "Maybe in the future I will but right now...I just can't–"

"I understand."

"–Although it would be so much simpler if I could forgive you because I'm still completely in love with you and I don't know if that will ever change."

Kelly remembered her conversation with Alicia before she left where she had told her that Kofi still cared. "The ball's in your court, Kof, but if you want to know where I stand," she reached out and took his hand, "I love you too. I want us to forget what happened and move on from it. But like I say, it's your choice."

He let go of her hand and scratched at his head, tormented. Music floated to the end of the pier from one of the cheesy all-night parties on the boardwalk; 'Love Hurts' by Nazareth was playing; how cruelly ironic. "Eve thinks I should give you another chance – then again, she's your friend so she's biased."

"But she's _your_ sister, first and foremost. When she found out what I did, she was furious. If she thinks we can make this work–"

"I'm going round in circles in my head; I love you but you cheated on me but I love you but you cheated... I don't know how much longer I can do this."

"You're right. Either you need to forgive and forget and just...be with me because you love me," she took a deep breath, hoping what she was about to say wouldn't ruin things, "or we cut all ties. No 'will they, won't they', we start afresh, away from each other, and forget the possibility of us getting back together. Either way, we need a final decision because this limbo we're in right now hurts too much to carry on any longer."

Looking up at him, Kelly saw how torn he was. What would she do if she was in his shoes? If Kofi cheated on her? It was an awful thought because she'd feel exactly the same as he did; still in love but unable to forgive.

"So... what are we going to do?"

* * *

Please **review** :) xx


	34. Departure

Thank you all for the reviews :) I'd love it if people kept reviewing, seeing as it's nearly over. Here's chapter 34!

* * *

**DEPARTURE**

* * *

How was it possible that Maryse was leaving Miami with more clothes than she had arrived with?

Other than the travel-appropriate white denim shorts, gold sandals and baby pink camisole she was wearing, everything had been neatly folded into the busting suitcase. She looked at it with a worried expression on her face; everything was spilling out onto the bed and even after throwing her entire body weight onto the case – not that her slender frame added much mass – the zip wouldn't shift. Maybe she needed to take something out? She removed one of her silk scarves in a poor attempt to help the situation but no difference was made.

It was lucky that they didn't have to drive back to L.A or she didn't think her luggage would fit in the car. The group had decided a couple of days prior that no-one really wanted to drive back and whilst the girls had managed to find a twin dealership to the Beverly Hills one where they could leave the car, Zack's father Tim was so proud that his son hadn't done any damage to the Range Rover that he got one of his employees to pick it up; the perks of being a wealthy businessman being you had employees at your beckon call, rain or shine.

Back to Maryse's packing troubles, she stepped back with an arched eyebrow, as if to examine the problem from a new angle. Someone heavier was needed.

Leaving her bedroom, she went across the hall and wrapped her fist against the door. A couple of seconds later, a shirtless and bleary-eyed Mike answered, clearly just out of bed in a pair of sweatpants. His hair wasn't perfectly primped as it usually was but the gel had been flattened by the pillow, leaving it lopsided. He looked cute...boyish.

"Our flight doesn't leave for another three hours and I need every bit of sleep I can get."

"It's a five hour flight – you'll have plenty of time to sleep. Until then, I need your help." She grabbed his hand and dragged him back to her own room. When he looked over at her blankly, she signalled over at the suitcase "Sit."

He sat down on the bed.

"Not there, you dweeb, on the suitcase."

He smiled cheekily and she couldn't help but return the grin as he piled himself on top of the case and she crouched down, putting all her weight on the zip as she tugged it across. "So when we get back to Bev, we've got two weeks left until senior year starts."

"Yes, we do."

"So that gives me plenty of opportunities to take you out on a date, right?"

"Surprisingly, you're wrong – my mom called me a couple of nights ago and when I get back from Miami, I'm going to Paris pretty much straight away with my parents and sister and then we're visiting family in Montreal." Definitely a blow for Mike but he did his best not to show it. "I get back from the day before we go back to school. You can take me out that night though."

"Are you sure this isn't just your way of telling me you regret what happened between us last night?" He didn't want her making excuses as to why they shouldn't go out – if she regretted what happened, he'd rather she was honest.

She laughed, finally managing to close the suitcase with a triumphant 'Ah!'. Instead of responding to his question, she went over to the mirror and reapplied her lipgloss before turning to Mike and saying, "I don't do regrets – if I wasn't interested, I'd tell you."

He was waiting for her to tell him she wasn't interested and when she didn't, he felt ever so slightly relieved. "So you are interested...in me?"

Once again, her answer didn't come quickly as she took his hand and pulled him off the suitcase he was still sat down on. "I'm interested in lots of things. Jimmy Choos, Ian Somerhalder, getting a good tan... and now you." She put her hands on his back and pushed him out of the hall and out of her bedroom, closing the door in his face in the process. "Come on, you need to go get ready."

Instead of being offended, Mike found himself still smiling, hoping she'd save a seat for him on the plane.

* * *

Considering everything that had happened in Miami, Kelly should've been happy to be leaving, when in fact, as she dragged her suitcase down the stairs, she was actually sad to go. Obviously there'd been the bad times and the moments she'd rather forget but the good times actually outweighed them and those were the times she'd overlooked.

Every room in the house told a different story. There was the kitchen and its long breakfast bar where the group would retreat to 'the morning after the night before', the bathroom where the girls would congregate to get ready together (the air was still thick with Chanel No 5 perfume and nail polish), the living room and the DVD nights hosted in there.

She walked over to the patio doors, looking out across the beach; the beautiful beach that had been the centre of it all. She'd miss waking up early, making herself a drink and being able to sit down by the ocean with it, her free hand running through the grains of golden sand. She didn't know how much this house cost to rent but you couldn't put a price on something like that.

Being the one that organised the vacation, being the girl that had wanted to stay in the house with a group of friends for so long and having it finally happen, saying goodbye was hard.

"Kells," she looked over at the doorway where Cody was stood. "The cars have arrived."

"I'll be out in a sec – I need to lock up." _I need to lock up_, she thought back on the whole time they'd been here and how the front door had never been locked. A safety hazard, perhaps, but they didn't think of it that way – it was just a place they could come and go as they pleased.

As the last one to leave, she looked around the large living area. Without the traces of her friends lying around, it seemed empty. Ghostlike. Yes, it was a beautiful house but without people in it, it felt sad.

"Need me to grab your case?" This time it was Ted stood in the doorway.

How long had she just been stood there, lost in her own thoughts? "Thanks." She smiled, following him outside, silently saying goodbye to the beach house as she locked the door. "Which cab am I in?"

"Well, Jack, Tiff, Rosa and Zack have already left in one and you literally _just_ missed Dolph and Montel disappearing with the twins in another one," he informed her, "you can either come with me, Cody and Eve or with Maryse, Mike and Kofi."

Kelly didn't even need to answer Ted's question as he was already bundling her suitcase into the same cab as him, a knowing look on his face. Things were still unresolved between herself and Kofi. When she asked him for an answer last night, he completely froze, leaving them in limbo once again. Maybe when they were back in Beverly Hills, they could talk again but until then, an awkward cab ride with him was the last thing she needed, as she slid into the backseat, ready to head off to the airport.

* * *

Whilst the rest of the group were checking in at the airport, Eve was waiting outside, her suitcase by her feet as she continuously glanced down at her watch, saying to herself _He'll be here, he will be._ But for all she knew, he might not come. Maybe everything he'd said the previous night had been a lie and with hindsight, he regretted it all and wanted to go back to the childless life he'd led before.

Before her mind could question it anymore, he arrived and she saw Fredrick coming towards her, a hand raised in greeting. "Sorry, the roads were crazy." He told her with a roll of his eyes.

"It's fine – I think this is the first time my friends and I have actually been early for anything this vacation."

"Well, punctuality isn't really my strong point. That was Carol's thing, right? Impeccable timekeeping."

Eve laughed. "Speaking of which, I talked to mom on the phone this morning and I think she's going to call you at some time. She wants to 'catch up' with you."

"Catch up?" Frederick winced like a child about to be told off. "Or tear my ear off about how I've missed the last seventeen years of your life?"

"You know, she's not as angry as you think she's going to be. More surprised, I think. She said you taking responsibility is 'better late than never'."

This time, they booth laughed; it was exactly the kind of thing that Carol Torres would say. "I guess she has a point. Actually, I can do one better than have her call me; I'm coming to Los Angeles for a writing convention next month so I'd love to see you guys whilst I'm in the city; you, your mom, your mom's new husband…"

"Andrew." She prompted. "He's great – you guys would actually get along great."

"Time will tell, won't they? Oh, by the way, I got this for you for the flight." He handed her the brown paper bag he'd been holding. "Don't worry, I know it looks shifty but it isn't."

She opened up the bag and took out a paperback copy of _The Bell Jar_.

"When you were interning, you said you really wanted to read it. Sylvia Plath isn't exactly cheerful going but it's a great book. Maybe it'll keep you occupied on the flight."

"That's…really thoughtful. Thank you." She put the book back in the brown bag and slipped it into her hand luggage.

"Hey Eve," Kofi slipped out from the entrance of the airport and over to his half-sister. "We're about to check in so we'd better go." He glanced at the man in front of him suspiciously. "I'm Kofi, Eve's step brother."

"I'm Frederick, Eve's dad."

"What?" The words slipped out before Kofi could hold them back. He looked over at Eve, who didn't dispute what he was saying and a smile came to his face. "Well, it's good to meet you. At last."

"I'll come meet you guys in a minute." Eve told Kofi, who gave a polite wave to Frederick before disappearing back through the doors and mouthed at his sister _explain later?_

"I don't think he believed me." Frederick chuckled, scratching the back of his neck nervously.

"Kofi's awesome – if you come out to California, you can spend some time with him then. I know he's not my real brother but…he might as well be. We're really close."

"That's great."

"Well, like he said, I'd better go." She smiled brightly at her father, who leaned over to kiss her on the cheek. It was polite, too soon for them to hug. "I'll call you when I've landed." She picked up her suitcase and dragged it into the airport, her father waving her off as she went.

When she first arrived in Florida that summer, all she had was a name for her father. Now she had a phone number and an email address and he was coming to visit her the next month; things were changing for the better.

* * *

"We haven't even taken off yet and Brie's already half asleep." Nudging her boyfriend, Tiffany signalled over at their pregnant friend, falling into the land of slumber with her head rested against Montel's shoulder. Underneath her t-shirt, the twin's stomach had a gentle curve forming in the form of a baby; something Tiffany found incredible. "Can you believe this time next year she'll be a mom?"

"Actually, I'm not that surprised."

"Really? Because I've watched Teen Mom before and Brie isn't exactly like those girls...I don't think that any of them look, dress or act like Brie."

It wasn't because of that, he thought. It was more that nothing really surprised Jack anymore. One year ago, he was the captain of the basketball and swim teams, he was dating the head cheerleader and to be honest, he was a jerk. He was the rich boy from Beverly Hills that didn't care about anyone other than himself.

Now, he'd handed the swimming reins over to Dolph (he'd never really cared about it that much anyway – it was just another accolade) and he was dating one of the smartest girls in school. Not only that, but she was one of the most amazing girls he'd ever met. The old Jack wouldn't have even given her a second thought but a series of events – with a few regrets thrown in – forced him to change his ways, to re-evaluate.

And honestly, he was happier than ever.

Noticing that he'd tuned out, Tiffany waved a hand in front of his face. "Are you okay? You've been a bit..."

"A bit what?"

"Distant." She lowered her voice. "Did I do something wrong last night?"

"Absolutely not." He assured her. "I was just thinking about us."

"Oh yeah?"

He nodded. "We've been through a lot in a short space of time and I just want you to know that you've changed me for the better and I can't wait until we're home and I can tell everyone at school how amazing you are."

"Amazing? You flatter me, Swagger." She teased, kissing him softly on the lips.

"Oh God, I hate being stuck next to couples on planes." The available seat next to Tiffany was taken as Cody sat himself down. "I only have one ground rule; if I can hear you making out over the music on my iPod, it's too much, okay?"

"Duly noted." She giggled.

At the beginning of the summer, wasn't it Cody that everything thought Tiff would hook up with? After all, he was her homecoming date and they'd always gotten along so well, it seemed inevitable. Even she thought something might happen between them. How things changed.

"What?" Cody asked, noticing her staring. "Do I have something in my teeth?"

"Hey Codes!" Dolph called to him from across the aisle. "Who was that sexy brunette I saw you giving your number to last night?"

"Did someone say sexy brunette?" Zack, who was sat the other side of Dolph, leaned over to ruffle his friend's newly-dyed hair.

"Number one, that was possibly the gayest thing you've ever said, Zack, and two, make with a name, Rhodes!"

Cody turned his head to the seats behind him, where Kelly and Ted were watching a movie on his laptop and Eve was flipping through a book. He thought about Mickie James and decided that for the time being, he'd keep that one under wraps, as he mimed zipping up his lips and throwing away the key.

"Spoiled sport." Tiffany grumbled, letting Jack wrap an arm around her shoulders.

But there was nothing to tell anyway, Cody thought with a smile as he undid the knots in his earphones, before putting his iPod on shuffle. He and Mickie were just friends. Not that he didn't mind letting his friends think otherwise.

* * *

A few people have been asking about a sequel and yes, I have been considering writing one.  
I was considering doing a simple 10 or so chapter follow-up, just seeing what the characters were up to 10 years on.  
I'm not going to lie, there are certain characters/couples I prefer writing to others so if I were to focus on one charater/couple in particular, who would _you_ want to read about?  
Please** review **:) xx


	35. Goodbye Summer

Chapter 35... The second to last of the story!

* * *

**GOODBYE SUMMER**

* * *

"Jesus, ever heard of packing light?"

Appearing at the door of Mickie's dorm room, holding one of her suitcases, Cody wondered why women insisted on travelling with so much baggage. He also wondered why he offered to spend the last day of his summer vacation helping the brunette move into her new accommodation at UCLA.

But Cody had to agree with her that it was absolutely beautiful on campus, if possible even more so than when Mickie was looking around. Before Cody arrived, she had been staring out of her window out onto the campus and admiring the view; freshman walked through, suitcases in hand, whilst sophomores, juniors and seniors reunited.

She turned back to her friend and said, "I didn't know how much I'd need so I thought–"

"Bring it all?"

Mickie smiled, taking the bag off him and dropping it down on her bed along with the rest of her luggage. "Something like that." College in California meant she could have a fresh start, be whoever she wanted to be and forget about her past in Miami. She knew she'd made mistakes and she wanted to move on from them. A new place meant new people. Well, with one old one thrown in.

"What're you thinking about?"

She watched as he leaned back against the doorframe with his arms crossed in a manner that showed off his toned, muscular biceps. Damn, she thought to herself, he has good arms. "Just excited about college." She shrugged innocently.

Something had happened when Cody picked her up from the airport earlier that day. She saw him waiting for her outside LAX and maybe it was something about the Californian sunshine but he seemed... good looking. Hot, some might say. Maybe she'd been so busy pursuing Ted this summer that she hadn't given his best friend a second thought.

Snap out of it girl, she thought again. This was Cody. He had become like a little brother to her...and yet here she was, checking him out.

"Knock, knock," from behind Cody, an unfamiliar female appeared. A redhead, much like her old friend Maria, although this girl was slightly shorter with an even bigger smile, if that was possible. "Sorry, am I interrupting anything?"

"No, not at all." He turned to Mickie and said "I'll go grab the last of your stuff from my car."

Once he was gone, the redhead stepped into the room and showed off her pearly white smile as she introduced herself. "I'm Christy – I'm in the room next door."

"I'm Mickie – if you hadn't already guessed, this is my room."

Christy laughed. "And I'm going to guess that the cute guy that just left the room was your boyfriend?"

"What, Cody? No, we're just friends. I'm single." Mickie denied it but as she spoke, she felt the colour rise in her cheeks, and she could see that Christy didn't quite believe her. "We're just friends – he's from Beverly Hills and he's the only person I know in the area so he's helping me move in."

"Well, he's hot."

"And he's single, so he's all yours."

"I'm taken actually. AJ's at college in Georgia."

"Long distance, huh?" Mickie commented as she began hanging up some of her clothes in the closet. "That must be tough."

"He's a year older than me and we managed it last year, plus Skype means you never really lose touch with anyone."

Thinking of her own friends from back home, Mickie let out a small sigh. Everyone was going their separate ways and even though she loved them dearly, she could see everyone losing touch. There was Randy, who was long gone in the forces, and John who was heading for Massachusetts later that week, but it was her two best girls she cared about the most.

There was Melina had left for NYU the week prior for an end of summer programme for the 'gifted' students whilst Maria's plans had changed at the last minute. She was originally supposed to be attending UCLA with Mickie however she decided to put off her place for a year and go travelling; she wanted to teach English in foreign countries and her first stop was going to be Peru.

It made Mickie sad to think that she was losing the two best friends she had in her life. Since leaving for the East Coast, Melina had scarcely sent a text message – she claimed it was down to her hefty workload but her Facebook profile was covered with photos of her partying in the Big Apple. It didn't really surprise Mickie; she'd always wanted to go to college and start afresh with new people.

And with Maria, the cracks in their friendship emerged during the problems with Ted and Eve, and how disapproving she was of the brunette's actions. Mickie knew that if Maria was going to defer her college application, she'd do it for a good reason and whilst she'd been looking forward to the pair of them going to California together, she couldn't help but wonder if Maria's apprehension was heightened by Mickie's actions.

Christy didn't seem to notice Mickie's sudden change in mood, as she said "Anyway, I came over here to see if you wanted to come out for drinks with a few of us tonight – we're all in the same boat, meeting new people, so I thought it could be fun."

"That'd be awesome." She brought the smile back onto her face, trying to put her old friends at the back of her mind. Maybe she'd given Melina and Maria reason to leave her behind but she wouldn't do that to the new people in her life.

"Great. I think everyone's meeting in the lobby at about eight tonight but I'll swing by when I'm heading down."

Just as Christy was leaving, Cody re-entered the room with the last of the bags. "Don't tell me I missed the girly bonding?"

"I'm afraid you did."

"Damn, well you'll have to make sure you invite me to your first slumber party. You guys bring the snacks and I'll bring the video camera–" He didn't finish as Mickie hit him across the back with a pillow. "–ouch, touchy!"

"Such a comedian." She rolled her eyes. "So I meant to ask what you're up to this weekend."

"Nothing planned yet – most likely putting off the mountain of work I'm going to get now I'm a senior. Why?"

"I thought you could show me the best places to go surfing around here. I need to get back on my board, and you could do with picking up your game a little bit as well."

"Wow, I'm insulted."

"Come on, I kick your ass in the water."

"But Mickie, you're forgetting Californian beaches are _my_ turf."

"I don't think it matters what turf you're on – your surfing sucks."

He laughed, glancing over at her surfboard which was propped up in the corner of her room. "Malibu Beach is probably one of the best surfing beaches in the world, let alone Los Angeles. I can drive us down there on Saturday morning."

"Cool." She looked up at the clock on the wall. "You probably want to get going – you need to get ready for school tomorrow."

"I can help you unpack if you want. Just point me in the direction of the lingerie and I'll–" Once again, he received a stiff pillow shot across his back.

Mickie grinned. This fresh start was going to be something special.

* * *

The quiet of the doctors' waiting room felt oddly eerie as Montel entered to pick Brie up from her appointment. Normally he went with her to every single one but he was busy that day getting ready for school the next day. She told him he didn't need to come but decided he'd be there to pick her up. He sat down on one of the chairs and had to do a double take at the girl sat in front of him, flicking through a copy of _Elle_ magazine. For a second, he thought it was his girlfriend.

"Don't tell me there are two pregnant Bella twins."

Nikki looked up from her magazine and smiled. "No, I'm here for moral support." Her resolution for the year was to be the best person she could be; she was going to work hard at school, not get distracted by _any_ boys and be the best aunt possible to her future niece or nephew, and that started by accompanying Brie to her latest appointment at the Beverly Hills clinic.

"She's just registering, right?" He confirmed, his fingers drumming against his knees.

"Yeah, and I think the doctor's going to do a routine check-up whilst she's in there – she should be out soon." For a moment, they sat quietly, aware of the other couples and families that sat around them, all of whom were considerably older than they were. "I was shopping with Brie earlier today and we were looking at clothes for the baby. I can't wait to spoil that kid rotten."

"With Brie as a mom, baby Ali isn't going to have any problems in that department."

"You're still going with the name Ali?"

"We both use it so much already that we might as well write up the birth certificate now," he joked.

Since arriving back in California, Brie and Montel had been trying to get into some sort of stable routine; alongside doctor's appointments and Lamaze classes, they were both getting ready for senior year to start up again and they wanted to get ready for that. Both their families had been extremely supportive, which had made the whole thing much easier. At home, Brie was treated like a princess, waited on hand and foot.

"Anyway, all the attention's on Brie right now, what about you?"

"What about me?" Nikki smiled.

"You've had stuff going on too. I don't know what was going on between you and Dolph this summer but it was certainly dramatic."

"That's one way to put it."

"What's another way?"

"Dolph's a good guy – he makes mistakes but he's real – but I don't think I can be his girlfriend. He says he thinks we can make it work but he's not the type."

"Yeah, Dolph and commitment don't exactly go hand in hand, do they?"

"Exactly. He keeps texting me, telling me he's changed and we've met up a few times but for now, I only want to be his friend. Anything more and I think one or both of us will end up getting hurt again." She sighed. "But hey, senior year is coming and I'm not going to rule anything out."

"I'd put money on the two of you getting back together."

"Truthfully? So would I."

As she said that, the door opened and Brie came out, a smile on her face. "Everything's okay – I'm all registered and the baby's healthy so all is good." She noticed Montel and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Sorry if I was a little while in there – hope I didn't keep you guys waiting too long."

"Don't worry, we had a little talk." Nikki smiled over at her sister's boyfriend.

"About me?"

"Actually surprisingly not." She took one of her Brie's hands whilst Montel took the other. She was thrilled for her friends and couldn't wait to be an aunt but she had so much else to look forward to this year – the unknown being one of the most exciting things of all.

* * *

When Mike turned up on Maryse's doorstep to pick her up for their date, he found himself blown away by how beautiful she looked. There was never a time where he wasn't attracted to her but that night, she seemed to glow even more than usual.

She wore a strapless cream mini-dress that skimmed over her curves and showed her legs and the Parisian tan that covered them – paler than they'd been in Miami but still with a honey glow. Her hair was twisted into a loose chignon and she was shorter than usual as her heels had been replaced with ballet flats. It was such an un-Maryse look – more like something Eve would sport – but the natural ensemble suited her well.

He had decided to take her to her favourite restaurant – or what Rosa said was her favourite. He'd ordered her favourite champagne, let her pick whatever she wanted off the menu and paid for the whole thing, whilst they discussed Miami, her recent trips to Montreal and Paris, as well as their return to school the next day. Whilst all of that had been nice and acceptable, Mike had one last trick up his sleeve, as they drove to the undisclosed location.

"Why won't you tell me where we're going?" Maryse persisted from the passenger seat as the car came to a halt.

"Because I want it to be a surprise." She pouted but he laughed. "Speaking of surprises, look in the glove box."

Inside, she found a small gift-wrapped parcel. "For me?"

"Open it."

Never one to say no to a present, she tore into the paper but was surprised at what she found. "A blindfold?" She wrinkled her nose. "Is this your way of telling me you're into S&M or something? I know you have a poster of Rihanna on your wall but–"

"Put it on. For the time being, your surprise will remain a surprise and if you see where we're going, it'll give it away."

"You're crazy." But nevertheless, she stepped out of the car and put on the blindfold, letting Mike take her hand and lead the way.

Whatever this surprise was, Maryse didn't think they'd ever get there as she seemed to be walking forever, despite Mike pulling them along at a quick pace. They seemed to be heading up a hill and the track was bumpy and uneven; she thanked God that for once, she was wearing heels because otherwise, she physically wouldn't have been able to make it but even so, she ended up climbing it to Mike's back and making him carry her the rest of the way. At one point, she even felt him climb over a gate with her on his back. It was bizarre and intriguing.

"I think we're here." He told her, putting her down on her feet.

She peeled off the blindfold and found herself looking out into the dark star-filled night sky. She looked down and saw the city sat below them.

"Turn around."

She did as she was told and realised he'd taken them to the Hollywood sign, standing tall and proud above them. "Oh my God."

"I bet you've never been this close before, have you?" He reached out an arm and touched the large 'H'.

"I haven't. Are we allowed to be up here?"

"Probably not, but I won't tell if you won't."

"Have you been here before?"

"Earlier today, so I could leave this here." He went behind the 'H' and pulled out a bouquet of yellow roses with red tips which he handed to her. "The woman in the florist said these ones symbolise friendship turning into love."

Maryse accepted the roses and found herself bowled over. "I didn't know you could be so romantic."

"What can I say? Underneath this womanising exterior and fantastic physique, there are hidden depths."

"Okay, but on a serious note, I missed you while I was away. More than I thought I would. Since I found out you liked me, I've found it difficult to stop thinking about you."

"Really?"

"Yeah, but don't get arrogant about it." She punched at his arm lightly. "You've got this reputation of being a chick magnet so I didn't know what tonight would be like but other than the fact that we might get arrested for being up here, this may have been the best date I've ever been on. It's been...perfect."

"Just like you then." She was normally so used to people telling her she was beautiful that it had no effect on her but when Mike said it, it felt like it meant something. "Here, it's getting cold." He took off his leather jacket and slung it over her shoulders, watching as she pulled it around her a little tighter. "Did you want to walk back down yet? Because I don't know how long it'll be before we get caught and I don't know if starting senior year with a criminal record will be good for either of us–"

Laughing, she took his hand, tugging at it lightly so he stepped closer to her. "Kiss me," she whispered to him, her voice almost lost on top of the windy hill. When he didn't react, she spoke again. "On our last night in Miami, I kissed you, so now you have to return the favour."

He definitely didn't need to be told a third time, as he used his free hand to cradle the back of her neck and press his lips against hers. Her mouth was warmer and softer than anything he could've imagined and when he licked her lower lip, she parted her lips, granting him further access. It was like a movie kiss; the whole city beneath them, stood in front of the Hollywood sign; it was picturesque.

"Now we can go." Her lips lingered against his as she spoke, softly pecking at his lips again.

As they walked back down the hill, Mike's hand warmly encased hers and for the first time since her relationship with Jack, Maryse felt genuinely happy. And who'd have thought Mike Mizanin would be the one to do that to her?

* * *

Okay I know I wanted to do a fic set 10 years on but I'm kind of leaning towards following the group into senior year!  
But we'll see - I'll let you know my plans in the final chapter!  
For the second to last time... please** review **:) xx


	36. Senior Year

It's the final chapter! Enjoy!

* * *

**SENIOR YEAR**

* * *

**TO: Eve Torres  
FROM: Brooke Shane  
SUBJECT: ****Heyyyyyyyyyy :) reply**

_Evieeeeeeeeeee!_

_OMG, I know – how have we gone so long without speaking? Sorry I've been so out of contact (super busy couple of months I'll have to tell you about!) although I did try and call you earlier this summer and your mom said you were in Miami with some friends? Sounds amazing, I want to hear about it at some time! A bunch of us cheerleaders went on a weekend trip to NYC this summer – soo much fun! And the guys are __**so**__ hot on the East Coast. Definitely reconsidering my college locations!_

_A lot has been happening here. Abby and Dan are still together, although it all kicked off when they got drunk and had sex at Jodie's Halloween party and apparently Abby cried afterwards because she wanted to save herself for marriage and she was worried her parents would find out and kill her – think she's managed to keep it secret from them, haha. Tina's parents didn't divorce in the end, they tried to stay together for the sake of her little brother, which is good, I guess. And omg, how have I not told you about Danielle? Pretty much straight after Kofi left, she hooked up with some guy from the University of Denver who gave her a little lingering present she didn't want...if you know what I mean! A couple of trips to the clinic and it was all cleared up though, hahahaha, the whole thing was hilarious, particularly when her parents sent her away to a Catholic girls school afterwards! BTW, we're not talking about Bobby. The douche bag cheated on me with Stephy Matthews and I spent a week of my summer break listening to Christina Aguilera ballads and burning photos of him! So glad he's going to Michigan for college so I don't have to see him for senior year. _

_Sorry this is so short – Toby keeps bugging me for the computer so he can go on Facebook... You remember how annoying my brother is! Can we start having long weekly phone calls again? I miss you girly! _

_BIG LOVE_

_Brooke xxxxxx_

"Eve, Ted's here!"

Her mother called to her and Eve closed down her inbox and glanced at her reflection in the mirror. She was ready for senior year; her make-up and her were done and she was dressed in a pair of dark skinny jeans and a simple white lace peasant top. She grabbed her bag from her bed and jogged down the stairs to answer the door to her boyfriend. "Senior year, here we come." She gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "Nervous?"

"When am I ever nervous?" He turned to greet Eve's mom as she came to see them. "Good morning, Carol."

"Good morning, Ted. God, I can't believe you guys are in your last year of school." She held a hand to her heart; she wasn't overly emotional like some mothers were but knowing this was her daughter's last year of school really hit her. "It seems like just yesterday I was dropping Eve off at kindergarten, a Barbie doll in her hand–"

"Mom!" She laughed. "Isn't it a little early to be taking a trip down memory lane?"

"Maybe, but let me have this one last time. I'm going to grab the camera so I can get a photo of you before you leave."

As she disappeared into the living room, Ted said "If Kofi wants a ride, he'd better come now because it's way too early to capturing Kodak moments."

"Kofi! Ted and I are leaving in a sec so if you want a ride, you'd better get moving!" She called up to her step brother.

The sound of bedroom door opening drifted out before Kofi came down the stairs, his backpack over one shoulder and a lazy smile on his face. "Let's roll."

"Not until I've got a photo of you guys!" Carol appeared again, this time holding a camera, earning her three groans from the teenagers. "Just one!"

The trio grouped together, Eve in the middle of her boyfriend and brother, and they smiled as the flash went off, blinding them in the process. "Definitely too early for a light that bright." Ted winced, rubbing his eyes. "Carol, why don't I get one of you with Eve and Kofi?"

"That'd be wonderful." She stepped in-between her daughter and stepson, telling them both "I'm so proud of you guys," before Ted took the photo. "The three of you had better get going – you don't want to be late on your first day."

"See you later, mom." Eve gave her a kiss on the cheek before they headed outside to Ted's car. Just as they were about to climb in, they saw Kelly coming out of her house, walking towards her own car, oversized sunglasses blocking out the bright sunny morning and earphones in, unable to notice her friends just a few feet away.

It was Ted that called over to her first, asking "Need a ride, Kells?"

The blonde took out her earphones and lifted her sunglasses to look over at them, although her gaze mostly seemed fixed on Kofi. "Sorry?"

"Get in, we're giving you a ride to school." She looked at them cautiously, but Ted wasn't taking no for an answer. "Well, there's no point two of us making the exact same journey. Plus, it saves you gas."

She looked cautious but couldn't refuse without them thinking she was rude, so she walked over and got in the back seat next to Kofi. "Hi." She said shyly to him. What were they meant to talk about? "How are you?"

"I'm alright. How're you?"

"I'm not too bad." Ted and Eve were chatting away happily in the front of the car, leaving Kelly and Kofi with each other. Actually, the blonde had a lot on her mind and her ex was the person she really wanted to talk to about it. "Can't believe this is my last year at Bev High. I've been at this school for four years and it's weird to think this is the last time I'll come back in September, ready to start all over again. Like, this time next year, I'll hopefully be at college somewhere on the other side of the country. That's scary."

"I know, right? I don't feel old enough to be making big decisions about my future. The closer it gets... man, I don't know."

"Your heart's still set on Morgan State?"

He nodded.

"Well, good luck. It's a great school so I'm sure you'll love it there."

"And you're still looking at schools down in Florida?"

"I've barely considered looking at colleges anywhere else. Despite everything that happened this summer, being in Florida just felt right... like it's where I'm supposed to be."

"If it's where you want to be, it's where you want to be." Silence came between them but Kofi knew what had was supposed to say; since returning from Miami, the remainder of his summer had been spent thinking about Kelly and if he didn't act now, it would be wasting his time. "So what are you up to after school?"

"Nothing. Why?"

"I thought maybe we could grab something to eat and talk properly without a certain _someone_ eavesdropping." His eyes darted over to the passenger where Eve was clearly listening in.

"Your my brother, she's my best friend – I'm going to find out eventually!"

Kelly chuckled at Eve's protests. "My mom's at work and my brother's going to his friend's house – why don't you come over and we'll order in?"

Kofi smiled, taking his cell phone out from his pocket and proceeding to send a message. There was something he needed to say, without his sister's prying ears, and he didn't think it could wait. A minute later, Kelly received his text.

_I've missed you. I still care about you and I want us to move on... together. _

* * *

Walking down the hallways of Beverly Hills High, the stares of most students were on the hand-holding pairing of Jack Swagger and Tiffany Terrell. It seemed difficult for them to put the couple together; the most popular guy in school was dating a girl who had been practically invisible for three years? How did that happen?

To them, however, it felt completely natural.

"You look beautiful today." He told her as the paused at Tiffany's locker. "Wait, did I already tell you that?"

"Yes, but it doesn't hurt to hear it again." She beamed at him, standing on her tiptoes to steal a kiss from him. Opening up her locker, it was empty after she cleared it out at the end of last year, only a picture of herself, Kelly and Eve remained, the three of them in their prom dresses after spring homecoming. "Time for a little freshen up, maybe?"

"What?"

He watched as she went into her bag and pulled out two Polaroid pictures before attaching them to her locker door with Blu-Tack; one of which was of their whole group of friends on a night out in Miami, the other was of her and Jack, taken on the plane home. This summer, Tiffany had much more than just a pleasant vacation; she gained a group of friends for life and the boyfriend she'd always wished for.

"Have I told you how adorable you are?"

"A couple of times, but keep going."

He slung an arm around her shoulder as they continued down the hall, ignoring the surprised stares of students, looking their way. "The way people were staring at us, you'd think we were brother and sister or something."

She chuckled. "Well, I guess it's a little weird to accept."

"How so?"

"You dated Maryse for two years and you guys were like, king and queen of our class. Then you two break up and you start dating Eve, who comes to our school and becomes popular pretty much straight away. Now you're dating me and let's be honest, I'm not as cool as either of those two. I'm not a cheerleader, I spent most of my free time studying, I'm not as hot as they are–"

"Are you kidding me, Tiff?" He stopped her when they reached the classroom door. "You don't need to compare yourself to those two! You don't need to be like them because there's a reason I'm with you now and not either of them."

She kissed him again, completely ignoring their surroundings. "I have to return this book to the library before class – see you there?"

"Absolutely." They parted ways and Jack headed down the hall towards his own locker, where he met up with Dolph and the two high-fived. "Senior year, Ziggs! I don't know about you but I'm excited."

"I know, me too, but all I keep hearing about is this new girlfriend of yours." Dolph joked, leaning back nonchalantly against his locker. "Anyone I know?"

"She's blonde, about 5'6, one hundred and twenty five pounds, you might know her, you lived with her in a beach house all summer?"

"Oh, her! I probably can't remember because you didn't share the intimate details from the sack like you usually do with your conquests. I'm assuming you and Tiffany _have_ done the deed?"

"I think this is one conquest I'm going to keep under wraps."

"She was bad?"

"Not at all, but to me, Tiff's more important than just another sex story to share with the guys. Sometimes, as hard as it may seem to believe, there's more to a relationship than just what happens in the bedroom."

Of course, at that very moment, Nikki came through the doors and breezed in front of them, sun-kissed, tousled and sexy as she strutted past without a second glance. Maybe she was ignoring Dolph or maybe she simply didn't see them, it wasn't clear, but either way, it hurt.

"Actually, I think you do know that, don't you?"

Dolph turned back to Jack and shrugged. "Well that's my senior year off to a disappointing start."

"Hey, you can't stay bummed out for long. It's senior year," Jack laughed as they headed towards their first class of the day, "you know what that means? Plenty of sexy transfer students roaming the halls. Check out that hot brunette over there – she's obviously new because I would remember an ass like that–"

"You know me well, my friend."

"Look, I'm sure Nikki will give you a second chance eventually. If I've learnt anything from Tiff, it's that chicks think things over a lot longer than we do. It's a slow burn thing."

"What do you mean?"

"If a guy punches you, what do you do?"

"Punch him back."

"Right. If a girl gets punched, she won't react straight away – she'll stew over it and think of every possible way she could get back at them and it's like that in all situations. They'll always work out the options, not to mention when it comes to guys, they enjoy making us suffer."

"And that's what Nikki's doing to me? Thinking over her options whilst making me suffer?"

"Exactly."

"Dude," Dolph chuckled as the two entered the classroom, "chicks are evil."

Jack saw Tiffany sat at the front of the room, her smile lighting up when she saw her boyfriend arrive. "Not all chicks."

* * *

"...so the photographer was like 'First day back – smile for the camera' and I was like 'bro, hold up, you got a mirror?' I had to check the spikes were..." Zack's voice trailed off as he tried to find the appropriate end to his sentence.

"Spiky?"

"Exactly! Take care, spike your hair. Whoa, that's my catchphrase for senior year!"

He continued to enlighten Rosa as they left their history class and made their way towards cafeteria towards the lunchtime rush. There was no doubt that their usual lunch table would be occupied by their friends, talking away as if they hadn't seen each other in years.

Rosa thought back on this time the previous year. Maryse and Jack were the school's power couple, Eve and Kofi were the new meat, Tiffany was invisible, Kelly was the cheerleader that had fallen from grace, Mike had been sent away to an all-guys boarding school for his bad behaviour, Ted and Cody were bad boys on the outside whilst the couplings of Brie and Montel and Dolph and Nikki had barely even been seeds planted.

In fact over the past year, the only thing that had really stayed constant was Rosa and Zack. Their relationship had been the only rock amongst all the drama that had happened and as she looked over at her goofy boyfriend with his spiky hair, bright t-shirts and cringe-worthy catchphrases, she couldn't imagine that ever changing.

"I don't tell you I love you nearly as much as I should do." Rosa leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. "Because you really do mean the world to me."

He raised an eyebrow, her affection coming out of nowhere. "I love you too."

There was a lot of love going around, Rosa noticed as she and her boyfriend entered the cafeteria. Inevitably, there was Jack and Tiffany along with Ted and Eve, all being their usual loved-up, cute selves, but now there was Maryse and Mike to get their heads round; inevitably the new power couple of the senior class. Then there was Cody and Dolph, laughing as they eyed up a new female student by the vending machines, and Nikki and Montel sat by Brie, also laughing about something or other. Even Kelly and Kofi seemed to be bonding, deep in conversation and hopefully mending their broken relationship, which was all everyone wanted for them.

There was one person missing, however. "I spoke to Alicia last night." Rosa told Zack.

"Oh yeah? When's she coming back?"

"Actually, she isn't. She'd decided to finish up senior year down in Florida. It's her first day at Miami Beach Senior High School tomorrow."

"Wow. Do the others know?"

"I'm not sure – although it looks like Kelly and Kofi are finally getting back on the right track so I don't know if this is the right time to bring it up."

"I just assumed she'd spend the rest of the summer there and come back for school."

"So did I but she said after what happened, she said she wants a fresh start and she thinks she'll get that in Miami." Of course Rosa was sad that one of her best friends was gone but if it meant Alicia would be happy then all she could do is hope it works out for her.

"I think senior year will be a fresh start for everyone. I mean, look how much is different already."

"I'm excited."

"Woo, woo, woo, you know it!"

She laughed and the pair sat down to join their friends. It was then that Rosa realised this was where the fun began.

* * *

Aww, and there it is!  
In regards to the possibility of a sequel, it's definitely split as to those who want to see senior year/in ten years time so I'm going to put a poll on my profile so if you vote on that, I'd be very grateful.  
A sequel won't be coming immediately - as it says on my profile, I'm super busy - but potentially after Christmas? We'll see!

In conclusion... thank you to everyone! A special thanks goes to the people who've consistantly read the story and given feedback - they know who they are and I love them dearly for it! Hope you've enjoyed the story and please review for a final time! Big love, Melissa xx


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